


Silver Lining

by FantasyScribe



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst is what motivates me, BTW Jeremy, CHRISTINE IS ACE, Christine - Freeform, F/F, He is NOT abusive, He may seem it, I'm going to make this story interesting, I'm having fun with OC writing, I'm portraying him differently, Jeremy Heere & Christine Canigula - Freeform, Jeremy Heere & Michael Mell - Freeform, M/M, Michael - Freeform, Michael and Jeremy are strictly platonic, No one-sided crushes between them, Same with Christine and Jeremy, The Squip is human, angst of course, are all childhood friends, trust me - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-02-05 10:15:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 89,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12792420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasyScribe/pseuds/FantasyScribe
Summary: Jeremy Heere is your typical nerd in high school. He likes video games, porn, and hanging out with his childhood friends, Michael Mell and Christine Canigula. Everyday is a countdown until high school graduation, until a new guy starts to attend their school. Jeremy can't figure out what this guy is thinking at all. He comes in on his first day and automatically becomes popular, then he is trying to make a deal with Jeremy? Just who is this guy? And what does he want with a loser like Jeremy?





	1. More Than Survive

 

 _Come on! Come on! Hurry up! I’m about to run out of time!_ Jeremy Heere thought as he waited on his porno to load. The stupid internet was on the fritz again! If he didn’t masturbate this morning, then the rest of the day would suck. Why you may ask? Well here is the list of reasons:

  1. It would mean being uncomfortable all day.
  2. He would feel weird the rest of the day at school (‘weird’ and ‘uncomfortable’ were NOT the same thing!)
  3. He would be more prone to an anxiety-filled freak out!



And the reasons could go on and on! _Not really that big of a deal though…freaking out is my version of okay after all…_ Jeremy thought sadly as his alarm rang out. He sighed and stood up, giving up the porno as a lost cause. After putting on his jeans and navy-blue cardigan, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Afterwards, he stared at his unruly brown hair. The curly brown frizz poked out in awkward places all around his head. Sighing for the millionth time that morning, he pulled his gel out of the drawer and squirted a quarter-sized amount on his hand. Then, he slicked the bird’s nest down against his head. Once done, he glanced at his acne cover forehead and chin, sighing, he left the bathroom to grab his bag.

Jeremy glanced at his father who was still in his underwear on the couch, sleeping while the morning news droned on the TV. Shaking his head, he walked out the front door. _Good morning world! Time to start the day!_ He thought tiredly.

After walking to the bus stop, he thought through his options. The bus meant no sweaty pits and bunchy boxers that walking would do, but it also meant a greater chance of the seniors targeting him, a weak junior in the social hierarchy of high school. _Aaaaand now my stomach hurts. Great. Aaaaaand there goes my face._ Jeremy thought as he felt the familiar heat creep up on his face at his nervous thoughts.

In the end, he chose the bus. However, he sat up front with the grade school kids to be safe from his peers in the back. He really was pathetic. Currently, he was sitting beside a kindergartner who was eating their boogers. Jeremy looked out the window and up at the gray sky. _All I’m asking for is to be the protagonist in my own life! I don’t have to be a Rob De Niro, Joe Pesci is fine! Please, just give me a sign that I matter…_

Getting off the bus before the seniors could get near him, Jeremy practically ran in to the school. Once he was home free, he slowed down and began to navigate the dangerous halls. Looking up from his hunched position when he got near his locker, he gave an internal sigh. The popular girls had chosen the front of his locker to host their daily gossip hour.

Jeremy barely heard what their conversation was about. All he registered was ‘Madeline’ and ‘slutty’ and something about Jake Dillinger. He was too busy trying to raise his voice enough to tell them he needed to get to his locker. When they finally noticed him, the leader, Chloe, gave him a look of disgust.

“He was totally getting off on that!” she snarked, while the other girls pulled similar faces of disgust. Jeremy blushed and backed up, only to be stopped by a solid mass.

“Yo! Don’t touch me tall ass!” Rich Goranski yelled as he shoved Jeremy in to the surrounding lockers.

“I’m sorry! I was just trying to get to my-,” Jeremy reflexively apologized, but Rich was already gone, now talking to Jake Dillinger. The girls had moved on farther down the hallway. Jeremy rubbed his bruised shoulder and went to get his books out of his locker.

Walking along the hallways, hunched over and avoiding eye contact with the people around him, Jeremy looked over to see a poster for the new play. He had to sign up for that soon, or else Christine would kill him.

Speaking of his petite friend, he rounded the corner and saw her waiting on him by her locker. She looked up and smiled once she saw him. Smiling back, he made his way over to her.

“Hi Jer! How are you doing to today?” Christine chirped.

“I’m fine. Miserable as usual,” Jeremy he said half-jokingly. She rolled her eyes at him as they made their way to English.

“Always so optimistic, are you not?” she asked in a British accent.

“Aren’t I always?” He replied, raising one of his eyebrows at her, mimicking the accent right back.

They both began to laugh as they made their way in to the classroom. Once they sat in their front row seats, her look turned serious.

“You do know you are NOT going to skip out on signing up for the play? I’m making sure we both do it at lunch today,” she said sternly. Jeremy gave her a pouty look.

“You know I will, but I won’t be happy about it.”

“Oh! Quit being a party pooper Jeremy! You know you had fun last time!”

“Oh yeah…I had tons of fun playing the donkey guy in _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_!” he bitterly said.

“You did a fantastic job! Not just anyone can play Nick Bottom like you did!” she said comfortingly, clearly trying to cheer him up.

“So says the girl who got to act out one of the leading ladies,” he said while laying his head on the desk. The coolness soothed him. He heard Christine snort beside him, but he ignored her in favor of calming his anxiety down before class started. It was short lived as the bell rang out not even a minute later. Jeremy sighed and raised his head to look at their expectant teacher standing at the front of the room.

______________________________________________________________

Jeremy walked with the crowd to the cafeteria in his usual hunched over fashion. He felt a sigh of relief escape him once he made it inside. Walking over to the usual table, he spotted his other best friend Michael.

“Michael!” Jeremy called when he was a few feet away. Michael turned and smiled.

“Jeremy, my buddy! How’s it hanging?” he asked as he pulled his headphones halfway down. Before Jeremy could answer, the Filipino boy continued.

“Lunch is banging! I got my sushi and slushie! And that girl at 7-11 gave me a gen-o-rous pour!” he sang as he danced around his seat. Oh no…this could only mean-

“You’re listening to Bob Marely again, aren’t you?” Jeremy tiredly asked.

“Ooooh! I’m listening to Marely and the groove is soundin' gnarly, and we're almost at the end of this song! Yeah, that was the end, now tell me friend: how was class? You look like ass, what's wrong?” Jeremy hesitated, waiting to make sure he was done before continuing.

“Thanks. I always appreciate it when a friend tells me I look ‘like ass’,” Jeremy said as he sat down in front of Michael. His friend snickered.

“I’m just not too happy that Christine is forcing me to sign up for another school play. As if the last one wasn’t bad enough,” he said while groaning.

“Ha ha! That’s what you get for being weak! You should have signed up with me to be a tech guy instead!” Michael chortled. Jeremy gave another groan and hit his head against the table. Then, he heard the object of his misery behind him.

“Hey guys! What’s up?” Christine asked pleasantly as she sat down beside Jeremy. Michael snickered.

“Jeremy is just whining about you forcing him to sign up for the play.”

“Oh, he’ll get over it. Mr. Reyes and I are having a hard time finding people who will do it, and commit,” she said, laying her bag in the seat next to her. Jeremy groaned and glared at her.

“Don’t look at me like that! I’ll get Reyes to give you a good part this time! No more donkey heads!” she said brightly. Jeremy discretely rolled his eyes and heard his stomach growl. He looked at long line. Michael usually brought his lunch, but Jeremy and Christine usually waited until the line was short before going to get their trays.

“Oh! Did you guys hear the latest gossip? There is apparently a new kid at our school now!” Christine said. Michael looked up from his phone and raised his eyebrows.

“Wow! It’s been a while since we’ve got anyone new. How come you haven’t heard this Jeremy? Usually you know all the latest gossip since those popular girls always end up in front of your locker in the morning?” Michael asked, looking over at Jeremy curiously. Jeremy lifted his head up and shrugged.

“All I heard about today was something about Madeline and Jake hooking up at some party. They didn’t say anything about a new kid, or maybe they did, and I missed it?” Jeremy wondered aloud.

“She hooked up with _another_ guy? How that girl hasn’t ended up with an STD yet, we’ll never know,” Michael said shaking his head. Christine looked at him with amusement. Jeremy looked over at the line, which was now short enough for them to head over. Tapping Christine on the shoulder, they stood up and headed toward the line.

 _Mystery meat and mashed potatoes in questionable looking gravy, my favorite,_ Jeremy thought as he waited on Christine outside the line with his tray. Once she made it outside, they began to walk to their table. Christine stopped and changed direction, turning to look at Jeremy.

“We need to sign up for the play before I forget!” _Damn. He was hoping she would forget._ Sighing, he closed his eyes and turned toward her, but instead of walking in to empty space, he collided with a solid mass, losing his lunch in the process.

Jeremy opened his eyes and regained his balance. Looking up, he met a pair of cold, dark blue eyes staring at him coldly. He felt a chill go down his spine as he stared up at probably the most handsome guy he had ever seen.

They guy in front of him was easily over 6 foot. He was broad, but lean, the guy clearly worked out. Chiseled features and clear pale skin made up his face. His lips were thin, but kissable ( _Why in the hell had he just thought that?!_ ), and his black, curly hair was coiffed in a windswept style that Jeremy really wanted to know how to do. Jeremy felt his knees turn to jelly as the guy gazed down at him coolly with his long lashes and dark blue eyes. The moment was broken when he heard a yell behind him.

“What the hell tall ass?! What’s your problem?!” Jeremy turned to notice that the whole cafeteria was staring at them. The second thing he noticed was the group of popular people looking at him with disgust behind the guy he just spilled mystery lunch all over. Rich looked ready to punch him in the face. Jeremy’s brain finally caught up, and began to form words.

“I-I am so-o-o sor-r-y! I-I w-wasn’t l-loo-king! Oh God! H-how m-much i-is th-at sh-shirt?!” Jeremy stuttered as he noticed the obviously expensive designer clothes the other boy was wearing. They were now covered in mashed potatoes and mushed up meat. Oh no. He was in for it now! All those years of trying to blend in and hide from people like this were all for naught. He was going to die before he turned 18. Even worse, he was going to die a virgin!

The boy looked at him with indifference and swiped the mess off his clothes. “Too much for you to afford, I’m sure,” the guy said stiffly. Jeremy felt his face begin to heat up. The guy had a deep, smooth voice. It did things to Jeremy that he didn’t really want to dwell on right now.

“You want me to take care of this guy Squip?” Rich asked as he sauntered closer to Jeremy, fists raised slightly. Jeremy visibly gulped. The guy, Squip, he assumed, shook his head.

“Don’t bother. I have more at home where this came from,” he said, then walked past Jeremy. The posse of popular people sneered at Jeremy as they followed him. Rich glared at him, but put his fists down, bumping Jeremy’s shoulder roughly as he went by. A moment passed before the cafeteria began to continue its previous chatter. Jeremy felt frozen.

“Jer,” he heard Christine say gently beside him, “let’s go sit down, okay? We need to clean you up. You have potatoes all over you.”

He nodded mutely and allowed her to lead him back to their table. Once they sat down, Michael looked at him with worry.

“You okay man? That looked rough,” he asked quietly. It must have looked bad if even Michael was being quiet. Jeremy nodded and allowed Christine to wipe him off with her napkins. Even when she cleaned him up the best she could, he still had obvious stains on his shirt. The food luckily didn’t hit his pants.

“Here, I’ll let you borrow my hoodie,” Michael said as he unzipped his most beloved treasure, and handed it to Jeremy. Now functioning, Jeremy took it from him and put it on.

“Thanks man, I’ll give it back after school.” Michael nodded and took a bag of Cheetos out of his bag.

“Eat this, since you lost your lunch.”

“Thanks,” Jeremy said as he opened the bag. Christine rubbed his back soothingly. Both of his friends knew how bad his anxiety was normally. The previous moment would have him on the edge of his seat for the next two weeks if he was lucky.

The bell rang ten minutes later, and everyone began to disperse to their next class. Fortunately for Jeremy, this meant study hall with Christine in the auditorium organizing the prop closet. There would be no class that he would have to force himself to act natural for.

Rising from their seats, the three made their way out of the cafeteria. Christine stopped to sign up for the play on their way out, Jeremy signed his name right after, only to hear a shout behind him.

“Gaaaaaayyyyy!!!” Rich shouted above the crowd. The teens around him began to laugh. Jeremy turned slightly, only to make eye contact accidently with the new guy, who was looking at him coldly. Jeremy hunched his shoulders and practically ran out of the cafeteria with his friends right behind him. This day was the worst.

 


	2. Jeremy in the Bathroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversation in the bathroom.

“Apparently his name is William Squip. I heard Jenna talking about it earlier when I went by my locker,” Christine said as she put the costumes from their last play on hangers. “His dad is some hotshot CEO of a major electronics company. It’s called Squip Quantum Enterprise. They design different software systems or something. That is all I heard before Jenna walked off. The family is supposed to be mega rich.”

            “Then why are they in New Jersey?” Jeremy asked curiously. Why weren’t they living in a Beverly Hills mansion or a New York high rise somewhere? And NOT in places where Jeremy could throw food on their expensive clothes in front of the entire school.

            “I don’t know. Maybe they wanted to live in a quiet area like Red Bank. I heard they live in this huge water front house. It cost about $10,000,000 to buy it! It’s supposed to be beautiful, or that is what Chloe told Brooke who told Jenna,” Christine said excitedly.

She may not admit it, but she loved to hear the latest gossip. Sadly, she didn’t have any friends to do it with besides him and Michael. Michael would humor her sometimes, but it just wasn’t the same as if it was with another girl. Apparently, not too many people liked hanging out with the ‘theater dork’ as Chloe told her in 8th grade. He had never seen Christine so downcast as he did that day. It was their loss though, Christine was amazing, or at least Jeremy thought so. He was pretty sure Michael did too.

“Yeah…well, I doubt we’ll ever be invited to see it,” Jeremy said as he separated out the fake jewelry before him. “Not like we’ve ever been invited anywhere before.” Christine looked down, but then shrugged.

“It’s okay! We’ve had our own awesome parties before!” Jeremy smiled. Michael’s basement had been the spot for many birthdays and holiday parties. Christine handled the food while Michael and Jeremy decorated with the limited Party City budget their parents gave them. As usual, she was right, they were pretty awesome.

Jeremy shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “Hey Chris, I’m going to head to the bathroom,” he said standing up. She nodded absentmindedly, and he left the room. Heading down the empty hall, Jeremy walked to the closest bathroom to the auditorium.

Thankfully, it was empty. He always got pee shy when he ran in to other guys there. Pulling his jeans down, he relieved himself. When he was just about done, he heard the door open behind him. _Damn!_ He thought irritably. Not turning around, he finished quickly and pulled his pants up. After he buckled his belt and zipped himself up, he turned and felt dread wash over him as he came face to face with the new guy. Jeremy couldn’t remember his name.

The guy was currently fixing his hair in the mirror. _Is that all he came in here for?_ Jeremy thought snidely. Geez…all these popular people thought about was their looks, and he guesses their money. He wasn’t popular, so he had no idea.

Ignoring him, Jeremy walked up to the sink and washed his hands. Drying them, he was just about to leave when the deep, smooth voice from earlier spoke.

“Hey, you.” Jeremy stiffened and turned. No one ever talked to him unless they had to. Maybe he wanted him to pay the dry-cleaning bill for the shirt, which still had a light stain left over from the potatoes.

“Y-yes,” he stammered. What’s-his-name was staring at him curiously, but the coldness never left his eyes.

“What’s your name?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious. Jeremy couldn’t imagine why he cared, no one else did.

“J-jeremy H-heere.” Why couldn’t he talk to anyone without stammering?

“Here? As in ‘I’m here?’” he asked. Jeremy smiled slightly.

“No. Heere as in H-E-E-R-E,” Jeremy replied. The guy nodded.

“I’m sure you know my name already, news travels fast,” he said confidently. Jeremy knew he was right, but didn’t think he needed to sound so condescending.

“William Quick?” Jeremy guessed. The guy, William, looked irritated. What else was new? Jeremy always got on people’s nerves at some point or another. He was such a spaz.

“Squip, William Squip,” William corrected, “and you can call me Will, or Squip. William reminds me of my father,” he said wryly.

“Oh. Sorry. I-I’m bad with n-names,” he said quickly. Will nodded, accepting the apology.

“No, you’re good, man. I just wanted to say that it’s okay, about earlier in the cafeteria. I wasn’t feeling good and I took it out on you,” he said apologetically. Jeremy noticed his eyes still appeared frozen. Maybe that was just the way they were naturally, who was Jeremy to judge?

“No, you’re fine. I should have been paying more attention. I’m sorry about messing up your shirt,” Jeremy said, eyeing the stain. Will shrugged.

“Like I said, I have more where this came from. Now that we’re talking a little bit more, can I ask you for a favor?” Will asked. Jeremy internally sighed.

He knew it was too good to be true that one of _them_ would be having a conversation with him free of charge. Maybe he really did want money for the shirt, or maybe he wanted Jeremy to do his homework?

“I-I’m not that smart,” Will rose his eyebrows, confusion clear in his features, “m-meaning that I c-couldn’t d-do y-your homework w-well. I m-mean I-I could g-get you a-a B at m-most. M-maybe an A f-for math,” he stuttered nervously.

Will sighed and rubbed a hand down his handsome face. “No. That isn’t what I meant, Jeremy. I’m smart enough to do my own homework. Don’t confuse me with common school house bullies like Rich Goranski,” he said, like it was painful to even talk to Jeremy.

“What I wanted to ask is if you would like to become popular? You know, learn how to be more chill? I could help you get laid. You are a virgin I assume?” Will asked, his voice turned cold, just like his eyes. Jeremy felt his eyes widen. This guy had to be joking, right?

“Who the hell asks that to somebody they hardly know?” Jeremy asked with a newfound bout of confidence. His face felt like it was going to burn off. Will raised his eyebrows in surprise at the boy’s harsh tone. His dark blue eyes revealed shock, no longer frozen.

“I don’t think any of that is your damn business!” Jeremy’s voice rose. How dare this guy? He was used to being picked on, but this was ridiculous! Even Rich hadn’t pushed his buttons this bad! This was full on harassment!

Jeremy shoved past him, and almost made it out the door before he felt a strong hand grip his arm and jerk him back. He turned to see the cool eyes from before were back in full force.

“Okay, I can see that you aren’t as stupid as I originally thought. You’re a lot more careful than I gave you credit for, that’s good. So, I’ll skip the friendly bullshit for both our sakes,” he said in a cold, serious tone. Jeremy looked at him, the grip on his arm felt hot. He gulped.

“Fine, then what do you want?” Jeremy asked harshly.

“I need a decoy friend. The people your school calls ‘popular’ aren’t right for the job. In return, I can make you popular,” Will said.

“What do you mean, ‘not right’? Decoy?” Jeremy asked. What was this guy playing at? The bell rang, interrupting them momentarily. Will sighed.

“Not here. Meet me after school by my car at the front of the parking lot. We need to talk somewhere private so I can give you the details,” he said quickly. Before Jeremy could answer, Will let him go and walked out of the bathroom, leaving him alone.

Jeremy watched his retreating back in surprise. His arm felt cold all of a sudden.

 

 

           

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I named him William because the actor's name is Eric William Morris (in one of the versions), and I've seen people using the name Eric, so I wanted to do something different. His last name is Squip, for obvious reasons. I'm taking liberties with 'the Squip', so either view him as 'the Squip', or an OC, which ever you prefer.


	3. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three musketeers meet up with the devil himself.

 

“Maybe he’s trying to screw with you because of what happened at lunch?” Michael asked curiously. “Or maybe Rich and Jake will be hiding behind the car and pile drive you!”

            “Or maybe you could be quiet, Michael! You’re freaking Jeremy out! Look at him!” Christine berated.

            Jeremy felt nauseous as they bickered. Currently, the three were currently walking out of the school at the end of the day. Will expected him there. It would be worse if he didn’t show up.

            “Well, we’re both coming with you!” Christine said, locking arms with Jeremy and giving Michael a look. Michael sighed.

            “I’ll go. I can pick up Rich and toss him across the parking lot if things get too heated. Y’know, cause he’s little and short,” Michael joked. Christine rolled her eyes.

            “Yes, we got it Michael,” she said with frustration.

            When they made it outside, Jeremy looked up to see Will standing by his black BMW in the front row of the student parking. Chloe, Madeline, Brooke, and Jenna surrounded him, giggling at something he said. Jeremy noticed the smile that covered his face as he listened to something that Chloe was telling him, but his eyes were a frozen tundra. Jeremy stopped and shivered at the look. How could nobody else tell how fake this guy was?

            “I don’t see Rich or Jake anywhere guys,” Michael said, putting his arm around Jeremy’s shoulder, while Christine kept a tight grip on his arm. They walked over to the group hesitantly. As they got closer, Jeremy took note that despite Will looking like he was captivated by whatever the girls were saying, he in fact looked bored.

            Michael gave a loud cough to get the groups attention. Will’s face brightened when he saw Jeremy, but deflated when he noticed the two on either side of him. The girls turned around to stare at the newcomers.

            “What are you losers doing here?” Chloe snarked. The others gave similar looks of annoyance.

            “He was told to meet him here,” Christine said, pointing at Will. The guy in question glared at her from behind the girls, but said nothing.

            “Oh please, why would Will want to see acne face?” Madeline said, putting her hands on her hips. Jeremy flinched at the insult, but said nothing in response.

            “Look, it’s a waste of our time if you have nothing to say. So, say it, or let us leave,” Christine said in a dark tone. She was normally a sweet person, but if you picked on someone she cared about, or theater, she got dangerous. Will raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

            “Actually, ladies, I did ask Jeremy to meet me after school. We have an assignment to do together that we have to plan for,” Will lied smoothly. Christine raised an eyebrow and frowned, clearly not buying it for a second. The other girls, however, fell for it easily.

            “Okay, we’ll see you later then,” Chloe said, glaring at the three teens as they passed. The other girls followed behind her. When they were gone, Will crossed his arms over his broad chest, looking at them coolly.

            “So, you told your friends?” he asked cynically. Jeremy frowned.

            “Of course, he did! We’ve been friends since diapers dude!” Michael, tightening his arm around Jeremy’s neck protectively. Will glared at him.

            “I believe I said I wanted to meet with _you_ , Jeremy. NOT you _and_ your friends,” Will said with irritation. Apparently, he didn’t feel the need to act like a friendly big shot to Christine and Michael.

            “We’re a packaged deal, if you want to talk to Jeremy, we’re coming too!” Christine said. Will sighed in frustration.

            “Fine, you,” he said looking at Michael, “you have a car, right?” Michael nodded.

            “Follow behind me,” he commanded as he ducked in to his car. The three looked at one another, but turned to head towards Michael’s car. Behind them, he heard a window pull down.

            “Jeremy, come on!” Will commanded as he opened the passenger door. Jeremy looked at the other two in surprise, they shrugged and let go of him. He walked over to the car and slipped in, closing the door behind him. This was the most expensive car he had ever ridden in. This fact, caused his face to heat up, and he felt sick. Being alone at school was one thing, being alone in the guy’s car was another.

            Buckling up, Jeremy stared straight ahead and attempted not to do anything lame. Will started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Jeremy looked out the rearview mirror to see the PT Cruiser following behind.

            “ _That’s_ his car?” Will asked skeptically. Jeremy glared at him.

            “Yeah, not everyone can afford a new car fresh off the assembly line,” Jeremy snarked. To his surprise, he heard a deep chuckle beside him. It sounded genuine. Jeremy turned to see a smirk across Will’s face.

            “You’re okay with talking back to _me_ , but you can’t tell a few bitches at school to fuck off? Honestly, I think I’m a lot more intimidating than Chloe Valentine!” he said with amusement.

            “W-well, y-you’re not a g-girl. My dad t-told me t-to be nice to g-girls,” Jeremy stammered, blushing furiously. Will shook his head.

            “Those aren’t girls. They’re quick fucks. The only things they want are status and money. Hell, you have slightly above average looks, and they open their legs for you no problem,” he muttered darkly. Jeremy didn’t say anything, since Will looked to be lost in his own thoughts. Jeremy jumped when he spoke again.

            “Anyway, first step to being cool: let women feel your confidence, that means don’t let them push you around,” Jeremy nodded, not quite understanding where this advice was coming from. It’s not like he had agreed to this deal that Will kept talking about.

            They drove for about twenty minutes before they came upon an iron bar gate. Will stopped outside of it and entered in a security code. He drove on through, allowing the PT Cruiser to come in too.

            Jeremy’s eyes widened at the gray-sided two-story house. It was enormous! The paved driveway expanded a mile away from the house. The pathway was surrounded by thick trees that led all the way up to the round cul-de-sac leading up to the front of the house. A round, stone fountain was in the middle of the cul-de-sac. An expansive balcony above the entrance. A multitude of windows covered the house, shining against the sun light. The shrubbery and flowers were meticulously cared for, and the grass was lush and green. There was a fine balance between nature and the house. Jeremy liked it right away.

            Will drove around the back to the three-car garage, parking in the space closest to the house. Will pressed a button and the doors behind them went down. Jeremy turned to see the other two spaces were unoccupied. He guessed they were alone today. They both got out of the car as the Cruiser pulled up.

            “Your house is-,” Jeremy began to say, when Will interrupted him.

            “Big, expensive? I know,” Will said as he walked away. Jeremy frowned.

            “I was going to say beautiful,” Jeremy said as he followed him. The other boy shrugged as he made his way outside of the garage. Michael and Christine ran up to them, both of their eyes were wide as saucers as they took in the house. Will opened the side door and walked through, expecting them to follow him. Michael leaned forward to whisper in Jeremy’s ear.

            “There is definitely a gold toilet in here somewhere,” he muttered. Jeremy chuckled underneath his breath. The inside was even more impressive. Jeremy looked from the pristine granite counter tops to the French doors that surrounded the round, dark wooded breakfast table in the corner of the room. Outside of the doors was a covered wooden dock with various wicker furniture pieces. Jeremy would love to sit there and draw the surrounding scenery. He was sure the rest of the house was even more amazing.

            “Hurry up, Heere!” Will called from the other room. Jeremy jumped and fast-walked towards the voice. He walked in to see an open floor plan with a big fireplace surrounded by antique furniture. The others had already taken their places: Will in a beige cushioned chair, and Michael and Christine sharing a dark brown couch. Jeremy settled in beside Christine on the couch, looking at the boy across from him.

            “I don’t like to beat around the bush, so I’ll just lay it all out for you,” Will began in a smooth, cold tone. The three across from him nodded.

            “As you already know, no doubt from the infamous Jenna Rolan, my family is head over a vast amount of companies involved in the design and distribution of software, and other advanced technologies. We even have holdings across the sea, the biggest being in Japan. All of these collaborations are under the Squip Quantum Enterprise, or SQE, authority. Nothing is designed, processed, or sold without being passed under my father’s nose first. Everything is in constant surveillance. So, you can imagine how…picky my father is about who proceeds him, and who he keeps by his side. I am the next in line to take over the company, but not without jumping through the hoops he has placed for me. He is a fastidious, calculating individual,” William said, ending on a bitter note.

            _Son like father,_ Jeremy thought. No wonder the guy acted like he had a stick up his ass. Jeremy would too if he had all that pressure weighing on his shoulders.

            “So, one of these hoops involves me how?” Jeremy asked. William looked up with a scowl, but Jeremy could tell it was not directed at him specifically.

            “The stipulations are demanding, but simple enough. Go to the Ivy League college of his choice, attend all corporate meetings, work as an intern for two years, then aide in his office as his right hand until he retires, afterwards, the company is mine,” Will said with a glint in his eye. It made Jeremy want to shiver.

            “Unfortunately, he has just implemented a new ‘hoop’. My father asked me to meet him at his office two weeks ago. Upon arrival, we went to his office and he told me that the key to any successful business is the people that work under you. He went on to explain that those people must be malleable, easy to manipulate, and be willing to do whatever you ask of them. They must be in your control and have everything to lose, or else they’re useless to you. As if I didn’t know that already,” Will snorted, rolling his eyes.

            “He sent me here, to our second house, in order to modify my relations with such people. If I can develop relationships based on his key points, it will show initiative, and the ability to lead others. Sending me to a place of squalor like this, will insure that I meet people like this. Your popular peers are at the top of the food chain, easy to manipulate, but don’t have anything to lose. They would turn their back on me in a moment of crisis, ratting me out to my father in an instant, then go back to their baseless lives as the top of the food chain of high school. That is, until they graduate and end up flipping hamburger patties at the nearest McDonalds. You, Jeremy Heere, are the perfect candidate. When I raise your rank among them, you will do everything to keep it that way. You will have to depend on me to keep your status intact. By the time I am done with you, even you will be able to meet my father with your head held high. It benefits us both. You get to be popular, maybe even get lucky with someone, and I get to show my father that even I can make a ‘friend’ within in the parameters that he requested,” Will finished, crossing his arms over his chest.

            The three looked at one another with skeptical expressions on their faces. Michael frowned.

            “Okay, so was it ‘within his parameters’ that you tell said ‘friend’ about your true intentions?” Michael asked with irritation in his voice. Jeremy had to agree. Everything said was highly insulting to his intelligence and person. He could safely say that both this guy and his dad were douchebags, rich douchebags. Which was probably why they were rich in the first place.

            “No. While I see the value in his advice, I find it unnecessary. I am skilled in the art of manipulation and achieving my goals by using people. He knows of this already. I will not waste my time ‘making nice’ with others just to appease him. Too much work on my part. I’ve already achieved popularity, all I needed was an individual who was easy to mold to my will. When you bumped into me, I realized that I had found the perfect person for the job. It makes it even easier that you aren’t gullible, at least I won’t lose brain cells talking to you,” he said facing Jeremy.

That was going to be as close to a compliment he was going to get from William Squip, of that Jeremy was sure. However, that did not balance out all the hurtful statements that were said before. Jeremy scrunched his face and felt it heat up in anger. He saw Michael smirk in his peripheral. Michael knew Jeremy Heere was about to explode.

Jeremy stood up with his hands clenched to his sides. He looked down his nose at the sitting boy in front of him. He wanted to be a pompous jerk, then Jeremy would give it right back to him. Raising his hand up, he flipped him off, causing the other to look at him in surprise for the second time in two days.

“Fuck you,” Jeremy calmly said, but one could tell he was bubbling underneath the service. “‘Easy to manipulate’, ‘malleable’, are you trying to piss me off? Because congratulations, you just passed pissed off to enraged. I can see why your dad wanted you to attempt to make friends, because you are seriously shit at it. I may be a loser, a geek, a nerd, or whatever you want to call me, but at least I have friends who like me the way I am! I don’t think you can say even that!” he said, waving his hand towards Christine and Michael, both of which looked incredibly smug. Jeremy put his hand back down, letting it fall to his side.

“I have never been insulted this badly in all my life, even at school. I know I’m gangly, I know my hair looks terrible, I know I have acne on my face! Hell! I even know that I have terrible fashion sense! I don’t need people like you telling me that, because trust me, I already know! I know I’m a loser!” His voice began to rise, he needed to calm down. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Looking at his friends, he nodded towards the door. They both stood up.

“We’re leaving,” he said, walking toward the door. In his peripheral, he saw Will stand up. The entire time he had looked at Jeremy with a blank expression. Asshole couldn’t even react to being told off.

“I’m assuming you’re finished?” Will asked, amusement in his voice. Jeremy turned to glare at him. His friends stood behind him with the same look.

“While I can understand your emotional response, I will say that I didn’t say those things to insult you. I was merely stating facts. Facts, as you just said, you already knew. What I’m telling you is that I can help you. I can transform you into someone that everyone will be drawn to. I can make your life better Jeremy, I can make you like yourself. Imagine, no more hiding in the halls, no more dreading every school day, no more sitting in the corner of the cafeteria out of sight! As a bonus, you won’t even be stuck with me! Just long enough till the end of the school year, and when you meet my father, then I will be out of your life! I can help you more than survive Jeremy. So, tell me Jeremy, are you ready to upgrade?” Will asked.

Jeremy knew what the guy in front of him was doing. It all sounded so glamorous, a dream come true. No more freaking out every day, no more watching his back for bullies, no more anxiety-filled days! And, Will even said that he wouldn’t be stuck with him for long. He might even grow to like himself. He could feel the identical stares of his friends behind him.

“I have two conditions,” Jeremy said, Will nodded.

“I expected as much. As I said, you aren’t stupid.”

“One, I’ll listen to everything you say, except, I don’t want to be mean to people. I don’t like it when people are mean to me, so I won’t do it to others,” Jeremy said. Will hesitated, but nodded.

“Two. I want them with me,” he said pointing to his friends, who look shocked. Will’s face froze.

“They’ve been my friends since diapers. I’m not leaving them behind just for a little bit of recognition. And…won’t it be better to introduce your dad to three friends instead of just one?” Jeremy asked, trying his best to be persuasive. Will looked flummoxed, but nodded.

“Fine! No being ‘mean’ and no leaving these two behind. Fine,” Will said with resignation. He stuck out his hand towards Jeremy. Hesitantly, Jeremy took it. He felt a warm shock run through his body, but was careful not to react. He shook his hand and let go.

Jeremy felt like he just made a deal with the devil.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a while. Getting William to talk is hard. It is so much easier to create conversations between the boyfs than Jeremy and Will! Guess I wanted the challenge though! Thanks for the comments, kudos, and support! <3


	4. The Real Work Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will spends some time in Jeremy's closet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got done with a test, so as a reward for myself I wrote another chapter! Enjoy!

           “Shit. Lame. What the hell?! Sucks. Why do you even own this? The fuck?! Why do you have so many cardigans? Cardigans are for girls. Are you a girl, Jeremy?” William mockingly asked as he raided Jeremy’s closet mercilessly. Jeremy grimaced behind his back.

            Currently, he, Michael, and Christine were sitting on his bed while they watched his entire wardrobe go into the trash. Jeremy flinched every time an article of clothing or a pair of shoes landed in the trash with a thump. _If he thinks my clothes are bad, he should wait and see Michael’s,_ Jeremy thought as the rampaging boy finished his onslaught. Jeremy had never seen his closet so empty before.

            “Okay, now that that’s out of the way, we can get to the real work,” Will said, rubbing his hands together. He reminded Jeremy of one of the villains he and Michael used to read about in their old superhero comics. Luckily, they had out grown that phase, or else Will would have trashed those too.

            “What do you mean ‘the real work’?” Michael asked, “You already threw out every outfit Jeremy owns. What more could you do?” Will looked at him as if he was the stupidest person he had ever set eyes on, which was becoming a more common look he gave Michael as the day progressed. It was Saturday, and Will had deemed it a ‘Make Jeremy Look Presentable, If That Is Even Possible Day’.

            “To obviously replace what I have thrown out,” Will said with an eye roll. Jeremy tensed.

            “I can’t afford a whole new wardrobe! My dad can’t either right now!” Jeremy said, beginning to slightly panic. He hadn’t expected Jeremy to pay a bunch of money, did he? All he had saved up was $600 of bar mitzvah money, and he was definitely NOT spending it all on clothes. Will shook his head, eyes cold, and clearly irritated.

            “I don’t expect you to. This is my plan, so it’s my money I’ll be spending,” Will said, putting on his black leather jacket. Jeremy shook his head vigorously.

            “No. I’ll pay for it. I don’t feel comfortable with you paying for me,” Jeremy said, walking towards the area he hid his money. Will’s eyes rose in surprise, though it wasn’t noticeable to the untrained eye. Jeremy had been studying him closely, and he didn’t want to think about the reasons why that was right now.

            “Why not? It’s a free wardrobe. Many people would kill for this opportunity,” he said frowning, genuinely confused. Jeremy pulled a miniature safe out from underneath his dresser, and then entered in the pin number. He collected the money and closed the safe.

            “I don’t like the feeling of owing anyone. And mainly, I think it’s rude if I impose on you that much. After all, there is something in this for me too, right?” Jeremy asked while putting the stack of cash in his bill fold. “Though, we will have to budget this out. No $600 jeans or t-shirts, okay?” Jeremy asked teasingly, smiling slightly.

            He looked up to see Will looking at him as if he was trying to figure out a complex math problem. Then, he shook his head and shrugged.

            “Fine. I don’t know how much we will be able to accomplish with that pocket change, but we’ll see. Now, help me throw this stuff out,” he said, picking up the trash can filled to the brim with Jeremy’s clothes.

            “Pocket change?!” Michael called from behind him. Christine, who had been on her cell, looked up.

            “It would be pocket change to him Michael. Will’s family are millionaires,” she said, back to scrolling on her phone again. “You also have five mansions, three summer homes, an extensive classic car collection, and ties to numerous world leaders, including the President!” She looked incredulous as she stared at Will, who rolled his eyes in response.

            “No. My father and mother have those things, not me.”

            “Oh! That’s something only rich people say!” Michael exclaimed while staring at the information on Christine’s phone. Jeremy decided to change the subject since Will was beginning to shift uncomfortably. Once again, not to the untrained eye, but Jeremy had been closely observing him (once again, once again, for reasons he chose NOT to ponder). 

            “Enough research guys. Let’s get this out and do some shopping,” Jeremy said, knowing full well the mall was his two friends’ kryptonite. As expected, they both shot up off the bed and began picking up the rest of the clothes. Will stared at Jeremy, with what he would consider as an impressed look, before it quickly shifted back to condescending.

            They walked down the stairs and passed the living room. To his horror, Jeremy’s dad was on the couch, passed out again, in front of the news. In nothing but his underwear, of course. He noticed Will arch an eyebrow in question, but ignored him in favor of fast walking out the door to the trash bin. The other three followed behind in quick succession.

            After discarding the clothes, Michael walked alongside Jeremy when they were heading towards Will’s car. “I’m guessing he hasn’t been holding up well?” he asked quietly. Jeremy gave an irritated sigh.

            “No. It’s like he’s waiting for her to come back or something. He just can’t move on and let go.” Michael frowned.

            “I know you aren’t going to like me asking, but how are you holding up?”

            “I’m fine. _I just choose not to think about it._ ” Jeremy thought the last part to himself as they opened the backseat door. He heard Will bark from the front seat, “Jeremy. Front, now!” Jeremy sighed in exasperation and shrugged his shoulders at a concerned Michael. Ignoring his friend’s worry, he withdrew from him and sat in the front with Will, who was looking at him like he was an enigma that he couldn’t quite figure out.

            “What? Do I have something on my face?” Jeremy asked, looking at his reflection in the side mirror of the car. Nothing that he could see was there.

            “No. Let’s go,” he said hurriedly as he started the engine. Jeremy brushed the weird behavior off. Whatever.

            When they made it to the mall, Jeremy pulled himself from the car. Will had been lecturing him on his posture. ‘You can’t keep hunching over! It makes you look weak. It’s also terrible for your spine. When we fix it, your body will thank me later when you’re in your 50’s.’

            The deep voice was beginning to grate on Jeremy’s nerves. Even worse, he could hear the snickering of his so-called-friends in the backseat. Pricks. Jeremy was going to have a lot of fun when it was their turn to be ‘Squipped’, a term Jeremy had mentally coined for the overbearing boy’s ‘make over session’.

            The mall was packed with people, specifically it was packed with teenagers from school. Even more specifically, it was packed with teenagers from their school who kept staring at them as Will led them down the walkway to one of his favorite clothing stores. Apparently, the three theater nerds and ‘the handsome, new guy’ were a strange combination to be hanging out. Jeremy did his best to ignore the looks. In his peripheral, he saw Michael yanking at his hoodie strings around his neck, only done when he was trying to overcome anxiety. Christine had a bounce to her step as she followed Will, who was walking with quick, purposeful steps to their destination. Being looked at by others never bothered her. Jeremy was jealous of that sometimes.

            Will wore a cool, aloof expression as the girls and women they passed by gave him appraising looks. Inconspicuously, Jeremy assessed Will’s form. Tall and lean with broad shoulders. His biceps flexed against the gray sleeves of his v neck t-shirt, the black leather jacket had been discarded in the car. Jeremy’s vision traveled lower to the tight dark washed jeans and black Timberline boots he wore. He gulped at the sight of Will’s calf muscles tightening each time his long legs took a step forward. Jeremy’s gaze lingered, then went up to his pant-clad bottom. Gulping, he felt a gaze on him and looked up to see Michael giving him a look of disgust. Jeremy felt his face heat up even more than it already was in the first place. He gave a sheepish shrug, causing Michael to shake his head in shame.

            Michael, Jeremy, and Christine had a heart-to-heart talk in junior high about their preferences. Michael was ‘as gay as they came’, in his own words. Jeremy was bi while Christine was ace. It had been confusing at first, but with the help of several chat forums and late-night discussions, they had all come to terms with themselves. Christine was always amused when Jeremy and Michael argued about who was cute and who wasn’t. They both had very different preferences on men.

Michael was attracted to men who were more extroverted and eccentric. He gravitated towards those with lighter features too (blonde- or red-haired men with blue or green eyes). Jeremy thought it was hilarious when Michael looked across the cafeteria longingly at Rich Goranski. As much as Rich bullied them, Jeremy thought Michael’s crush would have ended by now, but he was wrong. When Michael loved, he loved deep. It had lasted for two years and it didn’t look like it was going to subside anytime soon. As much as Jeremy thought it was strange that Michael had a thing for the guy who threw his glasses in the school’s bathroom more times than he could count, he still felt bad for his friend.

Jeremy, on the other hand, was at a worse disadvantage than Michael. Girls were easy, more attainable for a guy like him. Cute, quirky girls like Christine were his type. He would probably like Chris if she wasn’t like a sister to him. On the other hand, Jeremy fell for guys who were way out of his league. Overly handsome, tall guys with dark features and quiet demeanors caught his attention. They were usually straight, taken by hot girls like Chloe Valentine, or too popular for him to show up on their radar.

Who would like a guy like him anyway? Lanky and pale, acne covered skin was not exactly on anybody’s wish list for a boyfriend, girl or guy. Luckily, William Squip was too much of an arrogant bastard for Jeremy to fall for, even if though his looks and demeanor fit the bill.

“Okay, we’re here. Let’s see what we can find for… $600…,” Will muttered with irritation as he walked through the door. Unknowingly, he was proving Jeremy’s point.

“You know. There is this thing, it’s called a clearance rack,” Jeremy said as he walked up to Will. The boy looked at him, clearly scandalized.

“You want to wear clothes that other people didn’t want to wear?” he sneered.

“No. I want to wear clothes that are affordable on the budget we have,” Jeremy said as he walked off towards the clearance section.

            “He’s Jewish. Don’t argue with him about spending money. Trust me dude, it’s a losing battle,” he heard Michael say behind him. He swore he heard a huff of frustration too, but ignored it.

            Jeremy shuffled through the clothes aimlessly. He didn’t much care for shopping, as exhibited by his ‘God-awful wardrobe’, as Will had so lovingly termed the clothes he had trashed. He grabbed a shirt to look at the size, and felt a presence standing next to him.

            “What about this one?” Jeremy asked Will.

            “That’s a girl’s shirt,” he said blankly. Jeremy blushed and put it back on the rack. He glared at Michael and Christine, who were snickering behind them.

            “Hold out your arms,” Will commanded, taking control of the situation. Jeremy felt relieved. There was no way he knew how to even begin looking for a new wardrobe. Will walked around the clearance area, piling clothes into Jeremy’s outstretched arms as Christine and Michael watched nearby.

            _This is going to be a long day,_ Jeremy thought as Will pestered him to keep up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna get some things out of the way:  
> First: I don't have issues with men's cardigans. Will does.  
> Second: I'm not trying to make fun of the Jewish community (same as my last story IHHMILY). It's for funsies only. Not all Jewish people are penny pinchers. I'm from the Southern U.S., that doesn't mean I'm a hillbilly or live on a farm. 
> 
> Now then, poor Jeremy. I would kill if someone raided my closet like that! I also added in my side ship of Michael/Rich. Most of the time I'm a Jake/Rich, but since I'm doing everything nontraditional anyway, I thought 'why not?' I made Chris ace because I didn't want to keep up with too many relationships #lazy. Thank you for the comments, kudos, and support!


	5. What Not to Wear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their journey through the mall continues!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All fashion and hair tips were researched online. Irl, I don't have a clue about men's hair or fashion!

 

“You want clothes that are slim fitting, so no baggy clothes. Layers work well with your body type. Crew necks are ideal as well. And, do not wear big accessories, super skinny jeans, shoulder pads, or vertical stripes. The stripes will only make you look too elongated,” the man currently washing Jeremy’s hair explained. The man was Will’s personal stylist, Kevin. He was flamboyantly gay in a charming way, though a little too blunt. Jeremy liked the man as soon as he had met him.

            _“What is that thing on your head?!”_ he had shrieked across the salon. _“Lord, we are going to have to have divine intervention take place today!”_ Kevin exclaimed as he stared at Jeremy’s slicked down hair. Embarrassing as it had been, Jeremy was relieved that he was going to finally be able to learn how to tame his hair. Even if Kevin had to wash it and show Will its natural state.

            “For your hair, we are going to do a curly comb over. I can see you attempted that on your own,” he said, shuddering slightly. “But, I’ll show you how it’s done!”

            After washing the gel out of Jeremy’s hair, Kevin proceeded to blow dry his hair until it was a curly fuzz ball on the top of his head. Michael and Christine giggled behind him.

            “Oh no! Chris it’s back!” Michael exclaimed in false horror.

            “I know…the mass…the frizzy mass is back!” she said, pretending to faint in Michael’s waiting arms. Jeremy rolled his eyes at his friends’ antics.

            “Shut up! Like your twos’ bed heads are any better!” he bitterly replied. They both chuckled in response. Will, who was reading a business magazine, looked up and stared at the mass on his head as Kevin prepared his work space. Jeremy avoided eye contact, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. Pouting, he glared at his two ‘friends’ who were currently poking at his hair.

            “Awe Jer! Don’t pout. We’re just messing with you. Put the lip back in!” Michael said, pushing Jeremy’s bottom lip back in with his finger. Jeremy glared in response. “Your hair is cute! It’s curly and fluffy,” he continued, patting Jeremy’s hair gently. Rolling his eyes, Jeremy was about to slap his hand away, when another arm came out of nowhere and circled around Michael’s wrist. Turning around, Jeremy saw Will giving Michael a hard look.

            “Don’t keep touching his hair with your oily hands! Kevin just cleaned it!” he said, hostility in his tone as he squeezed onto the other boy’s wrist. Michael winced in pain.

            “Okay! Okay! Let go of me! That hurts!” Will let him go and went to sit back down. Michael rubbed his wrist, muttering various Tagalog profanities at the retreating figure. Jeremy heard giggling coming from beside him, turning to see Kevin and Christine looking at them in amusement.

            “What?” Jeremy asked. They both looked at one another and shook their heads. Apparently, there was something he didn’t know, but there was no use in trying to figure it out. Christine was a steel trap, and Jeremy would bet good money that Kevin wouldn’t open up either.

            “Okay! So, this style is really simple once you understand how to do it correctly,” Kevin began while combing through Jeremy’s hair. “I’m going to trim your hair shorter down each side and leave a long length on top. To make things even easier, I’m going to put a hard part bladed in to save you heaps of time in the morning.”

            Kevin’s hands flew through Jeremy’s hair quickly. He spritzed water every so often, cut in various places, and bladed in certain areas as he had said previously. Once he was done, Jeremy’s hair already looked heaps better than before. Jeremy turned his head from side to side in admiration, it looked good.

            “Don’t be impressed yet! Wait until I style it!” Kevin said, grabbing a canister of wax from the vanity. “You are going to dry your hair from roots up using a vent brush to lift the hair, but pull up and to the side,” Kevin instructed as he acted it out for Jeremy. “Use your hands to style hair to one side. Once your hair is dry, rub a wax through the hair for hold and a natural shine,” he finished, showing Jeremy the end result in the mirror.

            Jeremy hadn’t expected a big difference, it would just be him with better hair, but he was wrong. He hadn’t expected it to make him look more masculine. His hair wasn’t a curly mess, but soft curls that ran across his forehead to the right. Even his hair looked a shade darker than before!

            He pulled a stray curl and rubbed it between his fingers experimentally. It wasn’t the dry, brittle texture it usually was, but a smooth and soft. Kevin grinned widely behind him in triumph. Jeremy didn’t know how big he was smiling until he looked up at his reflection again. He felt great, who knew a haircut could make him this positive?

            “Wow Jer! You look so cool!” Christine said excitedly. Michael poked at his hair in amazement.

            “You really did perform a miracle Kev!” he said while giving the stylist an impressed look. Kevin scoffed and put his hands on his hips.

            “You doubted my abilities? I am called the ‘miracle worker’ in this salon! Recognize! And don’t call me ‘Kev’. That makes me sound like a college frat boy!” Michael took a step back with both hands up in defense as the man berated him. Then, Kevin grabbed and shoved him in the chair to work on his hair. Michael gave protest, but was soon hit on the head with a flat iron, shutting him up instantly. Kevin trimmed and spritzed water on his hair while Michael eyed him warily in the mirror.

            Jeremy smiled and checked out his hair in the mirror from the waiting area seating. It was a welcome change. When Michael was done, now wearing a slightly shorter, teased up hairstyle. Christine got up from her seat beside William and took the seat in front of Kevin, who began talking to her animatedly about different styles.

            “You look good,” Jeremy complimented. Michael smiled.

            “Thanks buddy! My head still hurts,” he said tapering off as he rubbed the spot where he had been hit. “Damn glorified barber. Should have known someone who Squip knows would be salty!”

            Jeremy laughed because he knew Michael wasn’t serious. He would be over it once they made a pit stop to Spencer’s, which took multiple pleas on their part to convince Will to let them go. He said he would go, but he would wait outside. Beside them, Will was looking through Forbes magazine, Jeremy thought he was ignoring them until he spoke.

            “We need to go to Sephora next,” he said, turning a page in the process.

            “What? You gonna put Jeremy in make up next?” Michael asked teasingly.

            “Make up?” Jeremy yelped. That was where he drew the line. He would NOT go as far as to wear make up for Will’s scheme! Said schemer rolled his eyes.

            “No, you idiot! For face cleansers. If you haven’t noticed, your friend has a bit of an acne problem. We are going to remedy the situation,” Will said in a matter of fact tone. Jeremy blushed in embarrassment.

            “Um…I know it may not seem like it, but I have tried a lot of different things to get rid of it, but nothing works,” Jeremy said, feeling any of the confidence he had gained from his new hairstyle rapidly plummet. Now he was just a crater face with a cool head of hair.

            “Not with any of those cheap concoctions you buy from discount stores. In this case, you get what you pay for,” he said before looking back down at his magazine. “Also, since you insist that your friends be involved, we will need to get make up,” he glared at Michael, “for CHRISTINE.”

            Michael snickered at the glare, causing Will to glare even harder. Jeremy looked between them in amusement. The stare down would have probably lasted longer if Christine wouldn’t have walked up to intervene. Her new bob hairstyle bounced as she took each step towards them. Parting her new bangs to the right she looked down at the two boys currently staring at one another.

            “Okay boys, I think that’s enough. You’re both pretty, now can we pay the nice man,” she waved at Kevin, “and go shopping? I’m dying to get some new outfits! I sold my old wardrobe to pay for this day! So, come on!” she finished, grabbing both boys by the arms and pulling them up. They both looked at her in surprise and vigorously nodded. Jeremy smirked at Will’s quick submission to the Asian girl’s tenacity. Today wasn’t a complete waste after all.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals end Tuesday! There is an end in sight! I've been eating, sleeping, studying, and working, so there hasn't been time to respond to comments or update. Sorry if y'all felt like I was ignoring y'all! Things will be better after Tuesday, and the updates will get faster. Thanks for the support!


	6. New Looks, New Reactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy, Christine, and Michael go to school after their makeovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to put a warning in, there is a homophobic slur towards the end of the chapter. I didn't want to catch anyone off guard. I'm using the word to build up on later development of the story, please don't be offended. Some words or phrasing used are not my own beliefs, or how I talk irl. I use them for characterization. Otherwise, enjoy!

 

            Jeremy gulped as he stared at the teenagers littered around the school talking before the first bell of the day rang. He was currently hiding behind one of the scant trees that were dispersed around the main building. Christine and Michael would be here shortly, and he was not going in alone looking like he did now.

            He had styled his hair the way Kevin had shown him two days before, and wore one of the outfits that Will had picked out for him as well. Jeremy had never worn this many layers in all his life, preferring to keep his style simple. He was currently wearing a navy-blue crew neck sweater with a tan scarf and gray peacoat. The jeans he wore were dark washed and straight-legged with dark brown Timberline boots cover the outer edges of the jeans. The outfit was comfortable and suited him, but he wasn’t confident enough to show the rest of his peers alone yet.

Will had assured him that his acne wouldn’t begin to clear up for another few weeks, but Jeremy couldn’t deny the smoothness of his skin after each wash. Even the redness had lightened up somewhat. Jeremy was no less than impressed.

“Hey dude!” Michael called out from behind him. Jeremy gave a relieved sigh at the sight. It was weird without seeing him in his signature red hoodie. Sunday had brought on the fight of the century when Will finally saw Michael’s closet. Christine and Jeremy had to leave the room as they both yelled at one another over Michael’s hoodie and the Pacman shirt Jeremy had gotten him two years ago at Comicon for his birthday.

_“I need them for sentimental reasons you rich bastard!” Michael snarled, clutching the material in his hands tightly._

_“You don’t NEED them! If you wear those that means all the hard work I have been doing to raise ALL of your social standings will have been for naught!” Will yelled back._

_“I don’t even WANT my ‘social standing’ raised. I’m happy where I’m at! This is stupid! Who care if I wear a hoodie or a Pacman shirt every once in a while,” Michael growled._

_“Do you think I WANT to do this for you? No! If Jeremy didn’t put me in a corner you wouldn’t even be on my radar, let alone Rich Goranski’s!” Jeremy’s eyes widened, as did Christine’s. How did he know about that? Michael must have thought the same because he heard him whimper slightly._

_“You might want to say something Jer. That was below the belt,” Christine whispered beside him. Jeremy nodded and was about to intervene before Will began to speak again._

_“Michael, look. I know this is between Jeremy and I, but that doesn’t mean you and Christine can’t benefit. I see your screen saver,” he said, looking over Michael’s shoulder. There was a zoomed in picture of Rich on the basketball court laughing with Jake and their other friends beside them. It was clearly a picture taken in secret based on the boys looking away from the camera and the poor quality of the photo. Michael must have forgot to turn off his computer._

_“I don’t know if he likes guys,” Michael muttered. Will sighed in response._

_“And you won’t know unless you can get close to him,” he said quietly. Jeremy felt relieved that Will wasn’t a homophobic jerk, or else this deal would have turned sour real fast._

_Michael nodded, “I promise I won’t wear them, but I do want to keep them for sentimental reasons.”_

_Will nodded and continued to pilfer through his closet. Jeremy and Christine looked on with worry as Michael remained quiet the rest of the afternoon._

Currently, Michael was smiling at Jeremy, looking him over up and down in delight.

“You look awesome! How do I look?” Michael asked, spinning around in excitement.

“You look good!” Jeremy answered honestly.

Michael wore a black button up shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, a red leather jacket, and black skinny jeans with white Nike high tops. His hair was swept gently back with a scant amount of gel, the same way Kevin had taught him. Even Rich Goranski would have to take notice, Michael looked nothing short of amazing.

Michael beamed at him, and looked ready to say something before he heard a chirpy voice come from behind.

“Hey guys! You both look awesome!” Christine sang.

“You too!” Michael said happily.

“Yeah! You look beautiful Christine!” Jeremy complimented. Christine blushed at their praise.

She wore a forest green, long sleeved, knee-length sweater dress with brown stockings, and dark brown ankle boots. Her hair was fluffed up in a short bob with her bangs brushed to the side of her face. The makeup she wore was neutral, making her face look softer than usual. She looked adorable.

“Yes. You all look amazing. Now, can all of you quit hiding behind this tree and walk to school. You look pathetic just standing here. It’s ruining the looks I took great pains to create,” a sardonic voice said from beside Jeremy. He looked up to see Will standing there in his black peacoat and dark washed jeans with black loafers and socks. His black hair swept back in loose, wavy curls that looked soft to the touch.

Michael and Christine rolled their eyes at him, Jeremy merely gave him a sheepish smile and walked towards the school’s entrance. As they got closer, Jeremy noticed the various, surprised looks that they were getting from their peers. They ranged from shocked to envious to appraising. Jeremy did his best to keep his back straight as he walked. Will had made him walk with a book on his head all Sunday afternoon to get him to quit slouching. ‘It’s good for your posture, and it makes you look confident!’ was the primary reasons given. He also fought to keep his blush to a minimum, he glanced over to see Michael staring straight ahead. Jeremy noticed he wasn’t fidgeting as usual. ‘Keep your eyes on the prize’ was all Will had told him, and ever since then Michael had not fidgeted once. It was quiet impressive, and showed how deep his feelings went for the shorter bully. It was an attraction that Jeremy had a hard time wrapping his head around.

Will nodded and smiled at the group of popular teens as they approached them. _Play it cool,_ Jeremy thought. He had practiced his smile all night and this morning, and presented it to the group, who gave the three curious looks. Jeremy was just glad they weren’t the usual scathing ones. It was amazing how a new look and hanging out with a popular person could change people’s perspectives of you that quickly.

“Acne face…is that you?” Madeline asked in surprise. Brooke, Chloe, and Jenna stared at him with parted lips.

“Yeah, Jeremy, look different. Like a good kind of different,” Brooke said, looking at him up and down with interest. Jeremy did his best not to fidget.

“Thanks, not looking bad yourself Brooke,” Jeremy said in his most confident tone. Will had prepped him the other night on his communication skills. He must have sounded good because he saw Will give him a discrete nod of approval in his peripheral. Jeremy felt proud of himself.

“Thank you,” Brooke giggled in delight. Chloe crossed her arms and gave them all calculating looks.

“You did a good job Will. They all look the part, but can they walk the walk?” she questioned with a smirk on her face. Will smiled, though his eyes said they wanted to rip into her without mercy. Jeremy almost cowered from his eyes alone. Chloe, however was not perturbed in the slightest, giving him an equally blue-eyed icy stare of her own.

“I assure you Valentine, they can and will,” he said with a smirk of his own. She brushed her brown curly hair away from her face with a smile.

“We’ll see. I’ll accept it for now. Brooke, Jenna, come along,” she said, walking away with her followers in tow. Madeline scowled at Chloe’s retreating form.

“Ignore her Will. I think they all look good!” she said beaming at them, but had a calculating look in her hazel eyes. “I look forward to getting to know you all better,” she said, giving Will a wink and walking away, swaying her hips in the process. The mini skirt and knee-length socks she wore leaving little to the imagination.

“Skank,” Michael muttered under his breath from beside him. Will gave a huff of affirmation, not even bothering to argue with him. Hell must have frozen over, because Jeremy thought the two wouldn’t be able to agree on anything.

“Be nice you two. She could just be misunderstood,” Christine said kindly.

“She is spoiled to the point of excess and uses her body to get what she wants. That includes using it to gain favor with her over indulgent step-father,” Will said quietly.

“Forget everything I just said,” Christine said in disgust. Jeremy and Michael scrunched their faces in revulsion.

“How do you know that?” Jeremy asked. Will opened his mouth to answer when a loud whoop came from behind them. Jeremy knew who it was by the way Michael stiffened beside him in nervous anticipation.

“Rich and Jake, could you two be any louder?” Will asked jokingly, though the look in his eyes said otherwise.

“You know us man! We couldn’t keep quiet if our lives depended on it,” Jake said, giving Rich a noogie in the process. The shorter male laughed, trying to jab at the taller boy. Michael frowned, looking down slightly in discomfort. Jeremy wanted to give him a pat on the back in sympathy, but refrained.

When they both noticed the other teens, Jake released Rich and looked at them curiously. Rich stood up and eyed the group warily, light brown eyes stopping on Michael. He began to glare at the Filipino boy. Michael shrank back, dark eyes looking pained. Jeremy frowned and stood in front of his friend protectively. What the hell was this guys problem? Sure, Rich picked on everyone, but he targeted Michael most often. It was sad to see Michael pine in secret, and over his primary bully no less.

“What are you doing hanging out with them?” Rich asked in condescension. Jake nodded, but merely looked curious.

“I had to finish a project with Jeremy this weekend, and got to know him and his friends better. I wanted them to start hanging out with us,” Will said politely. Rich’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything in response.

“Okay! We’ll see you guys at lunch then!” Jake said, smiling at them before walking away. Rich followed him, but not before casting a glare in Michael’s direction.

Will watched them leave, coldness in his gaze. Jeremy turned to Michael and gave his shoulder a squeeze. His friend looked up with a watery gaze. Christine patted him softly from behind. Michael laid his head on Jeremy’s chest for a minute to gain composure. After a minute, he stood up and gave a sigh.

“I’m fine guys,” he said calmly. Jeremy and Christine looked at him sympathetically.

“What’s Goranski’s problem?” Will asked, genuinely curious. Jeremy shrugged.

“We don’t know. He’s always bullied other people ever since we’ve known him, but he goes after Michael the most for some reason. It’s like he hates him or something.”

“That’s because he does hate me,” Michael muttered with a downcast gaze. “He knows how big of a loser I am, even if I look like this now,” he said, looking down at his new clothes pitifully.

“I’ll see what I can find out. For now, we need to get to class. Remember the communication exercises I’ve taught you,” Will said, eyeing each of them warily. He had only given them a crash course the night before after all.

“No stuttering, no fidgeting, no self-depreciating talk, and do not talk about drama for at least three weeks after starting a friendship. You don’t want to seem obsessive over one particular subject too soon, it can be off putting. Express yourself to a minimum, and Jeremy. Do NOT slouch,” Will finished, smacking Jeremy’s back so he would straighten himself out.

They all three nodded, separating to their various classes.

_______________________________________________________________

Jeremy had never been talked to so much in his entire life. Random girls and guys kept coming up to him and complimenting him on his new hair and clothes. Even Brooke and Chloe had come up to talk to him about their shared English class.

He focused on everything Will had taught him thus far. Jeremy felt that he had succeeded so far. He had only caught himself slouching only twice, and he had corrected his mistakes instantly before anyone took notice.

Jeremy caught Christine and Michael talking to other people as well. He felt giddy at the prospect of widening their social circles. Needless to say, Jeremy was running on an emotional high as he walked through the cafeteria doors. He walked over to a frantically waving Brooke and Christine at the ‘popular table’ when he heard a shout from the front of the cafeteria.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT LOSER?!” he heard Rich yell. Jeremy looked over to see the short boy push Michael back into one of the school’s vending machines with a resounding slam. Michael looked at Rich in shock as the boy continued to yell.

“Just because Squip is giving you special attention doesn’t mean I have to! You’re an antisocial, headphones-wearing faggot! AND THAT’S ALL YOU’LL EVER BE!” Rich shrieked at him. Jeremy had never seen his face so livid before. He usually wore a mocking sneer, laughing as he teased his victims. This time, he looked fierce, enraged even. Jeremy winced at the slur, and began to walk quickly over to his friend. Michael looked like he was on the verge of a complete breakdown.

Jeremy could see Christine stand up from her chair, her small face filled with worry and anger. Brooke, Chloe, and Jenna stared at the scene in horror. The faces in the crowd look on with the same look, others showed looks varying from curiosity to Jeremy’s chagrin, delight at the prospect of seeing a fight break out. Jake stood behind Rich with a frown, putting a hand on his shoulder gently.

“Hey man, that’s not cool. Calm down,” he heard Jake say as he got closer to the scene.

“I’m not going to CALM DOWN! This kid is an eyesore who is trying to be better than he really is. I’m putting him in his place!” Rich said angrily, grabbing Michael’s jacket and pushing him against the machine. Jeremy was pushing through the crowd of onlookers. He looked around for Will as back up, but couldn’t find him anywhere. He could hear a high-pitched voice saying, ‘excuse me’ as Christine followed close behind him.

Michael’s face looked red, his eyes glassy and wide with shock. Jeremy heard mutterings of ‘please stop’ and ‘let go, please’ coming from the tanned boy’s trembling lips. Jeremy was expecting an explosion of tears and hyperventilation any minute, but instead, he got the opposite.

Michael’s expression turned furious as he used his height and weight advantage to grab Rich’s wrists and shove him backwards. Rich, who hadn’t been expecting retaliation, stumbled backwards onto the ground. Michael looked down at Rich, tears streaming down his face and fog misting up his glasses.

“I SAID TO LET GO OF ME YOU ASSHOLE!!!” Michael screamed, turning on his heels and sprinting out of the cafeteria side door. The whole room grew so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Rich sat on the floor, a shocked look covering his face. Jake looked down at him in disappointment, their friends mirroring the look from behind him.

Shaking his head, Jeremy broke free of the crowd and ran after his distressed friend. The footsteps behind him let him know Christine was right on his tail.

Before he the door closed behind them, Jeremy could have sworn he heard a voice similar to William Squip’s coldly asking in the silent room, “What the hell just happened?”

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are done! *does a happy dance across the room* I should be writing like Alexander Hamilton now! Here comes some angst too! Once again, sorry for the slur. I wanted something that would push Michael over the edge, and this is one of the things that came up. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the ones to come in the future!


	7. Sentiments and Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang finishes the school day.

            Jeremy and Christine found Michael huddled in a corner in the auditorium’s sound booth. It was where he usually did his tech work for the various plays Mr. Reyes came up with during the school year. Jeremy pushed to the door open, hearing sobs emanating from the door. Christine looked at Jeremy with a worried expression, and they both stepped through the door.

            Michael sat in a corner of the room with his knees brought up to his chest. His head was shoved into his thighs while his hands were clenched together tightly. His entire body was shaking from the sobs coming out. Jeremy’s heart hurt for his suffering friend.

            Both he and Christine walked slowly over towards him, not wanting to cause anymore distress. When they made it to him, they both got down on their knees next to Michael. Jeremy hesitantly put his hand on the other boy’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Michael tensed, but soon relaxed when he heard Christine’s soft voice muttering “It’s okay Mikey, it’s just us”. She rubbed his back soothingly in soft, slow motions.

            Soon, Michael’s sobs decreased to sniffles, and he tiredly leaned against Jeremy. His full weight would have been too much for Christine to support. The three friends sat in silence, two of which were waiting on the third to break it. After a while, Michael began to quietly speak.

            “I’m done loving Rich Goranski. You can tell me I told you so Jeremy, I won’t be mad,” Michael said. He sounded broken.

            “I’m not going to say that Mike. You’re free to love whoever you want. Yeah, I thought it was strange, but I would never make you feel bad for having feelings,” Jeremy said, patting his friend on the back. Michael sighed against him in relief.

            “I think it’s a good idea to move on Mikey. It’s not healthy to continue giving your love to someone who is so mean to you. I would even go as far as to say it’s turned into an abusive relationship, even if Rich has no idea about your feelings,” Christine said while continuing to rub Michael’s back. Michael nodded in agreement.

            “Yeah. I need to move on. To be honest, I’ve gotten tired of liking him for a few months now. All of this pining has stressed me out,” Michael said, lifting himself off Jeremy. Christine and Jeremy removed their hands from him, and stood up. They both waited alongside Michael as he wiped the tears from his face. When he looked presentable, they walked out of the room.

            “We better get back to class, or else the teachers will call our parents,” Christine said, checking the time on her cell. Jeremy and Michael nodded in agreement. As they walked the halls, Jeremy heard a voice call out behind them.

            “Hey Heere!” Jeremy turned to see Jake and Will, with a despondent Rich lodged in between them. Their hands were clenched tightly around his arms on both sides.

            “We’ve been looking all over for you guys!” Jake said, looking at Michael apologetically. “Someone would like to say something,” he finished while pushing Rich in front of them. Rich turned to glare at the two taller boys, Jake gave a look of disappointment, while Will’s was as icy as a frozen tundra. Rich gulped and turned back to the other three.

            “I’m sorry. I lost my head and took it out on you,” Rich said, looking at Michael with a blank expression. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you or called you names. It wasn’t right. I know I don’t deserve it, but will you accept my apology?” Rich thrust his hand out towards Michael, not even looking him in the eyes. Jeremy gave him a glare in response. The midget asshole couldn’t even apologize properly! Let alone actually mean it! Christine’s gaze mirrored Jeremy’s.

            Michael looked at Rich, then at his hand calmly. He gazed at his long time crush, and grasped his hand to shake it. Figures, Michael never could hold a grudge towards the people he cared about, Rich was lucky. Whatever, just because Michael forgave the blonde, didn’t mean Jeremy had to. Rich nodded, then let go of his hand and walked away. Jake gave a look of relief and followed him, while Will followed them with a cold gaze. After they were out of sight, Will turned his gaze on the remaining teens.

            “So, that did not go as expected,” he said.

            “No shit sherlock,” Jeremy replied with a glare. “You know he didn’t even mean that apology, right? He’s lucky Michael is so forgiving,” Jeremy crossed his arms, and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout out of habit. Will smirked, and opened his mouth before Michael interrupted, causing the other boy to frown.

            “Don’t worry Jer. It’s not like I was ever given an apology in the past. This is a step up to me. Maybe we’ll talk later and get to know one another better!” Michael said optimistically, putting a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and squeezing lightly. Jeremy sighed, and gave his friend a sympathetic smile.

            “I thought you said you were going to get over him?”

            “Well…maybe I’ll hang in there a little bit longer. He did apologize after all!” Michael beamed. Poor, naïve Michael. He was completely smitten with Richard Goranski.

            “Okay, buddy. Just make sure not to get too emotionally invested,” Jeremy said, worry in his voice. Michael nodded, giving him a side hug, causing Jeremy to lean into it. He heard a condescending snort next to him.

            “Should Christine and I leave so you two can make out in the nearest empty classroom? Or maybe I can cover for you in class, so you can go hump in the back seat of Mell’s tacky car?” Will snidely asked. Jeremy and Michael glared at him, while Christine giggled beside them.

            “E tu, Chris? E tu?” Michael asked the girl. She shook her head snickering as the three boys staring at her.

            “Let’s go to class guys,” Christine said, turning on her heels towards her classroom. The boys shrugged and left to go to their own classes as well. As Jeremy headed towards fifth period History, he didn’t notice the set of dark blue eyes following him down the hall.

________________________________________________________

            As the day finished, Jeremy could easily say that this had been the least heinous school day of his life so far. People, popular people, had talked to him, Jeremiah George Heere, all day! Brooke Lohst had actually flirted with him today! Chloe had tolerated him too! Jake Dillinger invited him to play a game of basketball with him, even though Jeremy had no athletic ability whatsoever, he was still invited!

            If you took away the drama at lunch with Michael and Rich, it would have been a perfect day! Best of all, Jeremy had not ruined anything with his awkward social skills. Jeremy could safely say that William Squip was a genius, a certified genius! Or a mad scientist that took three outcasts and turned them into beautiful, popular people! Jeremy was beyond impressed!

            As he made his way towards the parking lot, he found himself surrounded by people who would not have stood within a three-foot radius of him the week before. Brooke was hanging on to his right arm chattering about her day, while Chloe and Jenna gossiped about Madeline and one of her recent conquests. Michael, Jake, and Christine were in a deep discussion behind them about play rehearsals (Jake was a surprisingly big fan of Broadway).

Will walked beside them, rolling his eyes discretely at their discussion. Christine had barely last an hour before she broke the ‘don’t talk about musicals for at least three months’ rule. Apparently, the group of ‘populars’ didn’t care about her love of plays, except Chloe, who Brooke told to hush since she was the only one who hated them after a disastrous third grade school play. It ended with her falling off the stage and spraining her ankle in front of the entire student body and their parents. Chloe had huffed, and proceeded to ignore everyone all together, except Jenna and Madeline gossip.

            Rich lingered behind the rest of the group, looking down at his shoes the entire walk to the parking lot without saying a word. The group was not talking to him at the moment. Jake and the girls were less than impressed at his treatment of Michael at lunch. Chloe and the other girls were up for gossiping every now and then, but they did not approve of the spectacle at lunch. Jake and Will (apparently, there was no other explanation that Jeremy could figure out) were still disappointed in the shorter boy. Jeremy wasn’t too happy with Rich on a normal day, but he was especially irritated at him now. He noticed Michael glancing at the dejected boy behind him every once in a while, with a concerned look on his face.

            Jeremy tuned back into Brooke’s talking as they made it to the parking lot. Her hold tightened on his arm as they drew closer. She looked up to bat her golden lashes at him, light green eyes looking up at him longingly.

            “Hey Jeremy! Want to go to Pinkberry in my mother’s car? Chloe and I would love it if you came!” she asked in a pleading tone.

            “Uh…sure! I don’t have any plans,” he said in response. It was Monday, there was no plans on Monday that he knew of.

            “Great! Hey Chlo! He said yes!” she told the other girl excitedly. Chloe turned her head and nodded, a dark glint in her dark blue eyes as she glanced at him. He held down the nervous gulp he desperately wanted to do. She looked ready to kill him.

            “H-hold on for a minute Brooke. I need to ask Will something real quick,” Jeremy said, pulling out of her grasp and walking towards the taller boy. Michael and Chris waved good bye to him as they walked to their respective cars, Jeremy waved back quickly and stopped beside Will. He was leaning against his BMW talking to Jake, Rich, and a few of the other guys on the basketball team. Rich looked a lot more relaxed since Michael had left. Jeremy gave him a glare before nervously walking up to Will.

            The boredom in his eyes lessened somewhat as Jeremy slipped in beside him. He arched an eyebrow at him, but said nothing else.

            “Are you sure you don’t want to try out for the team? You’re one of the tallest guys in our class! We could use the extra height,” Jake was saying. Will smiled (his fake, polite one).

            “Sorry I can’t. My father doesn’t want me doing any extracurriculars since I’m spending most of my time working with the company,” he said pleasantly. The other guys nodded in disappointed.

            “Hey Jer! You’re what, about six foot? Ever thought about playing basketball?” Jake asked in a hopeful voice. Jeremy gave a genuine laugh, doing his best to contain a snort that was threatening to come up.

            “Sorry Jake. I have zero to no athletic ability. I wouldn’t be of any help,” Jake grinned at him and shrugged.

            “Well damn! Guess we’re stuck with that freshman that’s only five nine!” Jake exclaimed. “We gotta get to practice, we’ll see ya around Squip, Jeremy,” Jake waved at them both as he and the rest of the boys walked away. Once they were out of sight, Jeremy turned to him in panic.

            “Okay, I have a situation!” Jeremy hissed at him. Will frowned.

            “What are you talking about?”

            “Brooke invited me to go with her and Chloe to Pinkberry. Right now! What if I say the wrong thing? Or do something stupid? What if Chloe eats me?!” Jeremy whispered fiercely. Will looked at him with a blank expression. Jeremy could have sworn he saw the corners of his lip’s tilt upward for a fraction of a second before they were jerked back down.

            “Once again, you can stand up to me, but you can’t look Chloe Valentine in the eye? You really don’t make any sense,” he said shaking his head softly.

            “Come on and give me some advice! You’re supposed to be my coach! My Yoda! I need help!” Jeremy whined. Will sighed.

            “Okay, first, don’t use another Star Wars reference ever again, especially in front of girls. Second, I’m coming with you. I don’t think you’re ready to do this on your own,” he said, walking past Jeremy to the girls waiting beside Brooke’s mom’s cars.

            “Wait, what?” Jeremy asked too late. What had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand this is not as interesting as my last story so far (IHHMILY), but it is because I'm building up the different relationships. I'm also working on some characterization since I'm basically creating an OC with their own background. I didn't want to jump into a Jeremy/Squip relationship without them bonding or having a reason to interact together. I may be too paranoid about what readers are thinking at this point, but I find myself getting bored writing sometimes (not that I'm going to abandon the story! Definitely not!). Anyway, I'm hoping you enjoy this chapter!


	8. The Drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Jeremy spend some alone time together (not that kind of 'alone time' ;)).

 

“So, Jenna said that Madeline told her that-,” Chloe droned on as she finished off the remains of her Pinkberry. Brooke sat beside Jeremy, hanging on to her every word. Jeremy had long since zoned out to the constant prattle. Based on the glazed over look in Will’s eyes, Jeremy could tell that Will had quit listening too. If Jeremy would have known things would have turned out like this, he would never have roped Will into going with them.

            After they left Pinkberry, and waved good bye to the girls, the boys got into Will’s BMW. Jeremy buckled his seat belt and let guilt overtake him. He glanced over at Will who was checking various texts on his phone. Jeremy looked ahead and gulped.

            “I’m sorry,” he said. Will looked up with a frown.

            “What are you apologizing for?” he asked in a genuinely confused tone.

            “It’s just…you had just got done telling Jake and the guys about how busy you were with the company, and I kind of put you in a corner to come with me and the girls. I was being inconsiderate. So, sorry,” Jeremy apologized again, looking over at Will. The boy had a contemplative look on his face, shrugging.

            “If I didn’t have the time, then I wouldn’t have come in the first place. It’s not a big deal,” he said dismissively.

            “Aren’t those texts from SQE though?” Jeremy asked. Will frowned again, shutting his screen off.

            “Don’t worry about it. One afternoon without me won’t throw us into bankruptcy. They are grown men, they can figure it out for themselves tonight. I’ll more than likely have to change everything later regardless either way,” he said with a sigh, pinching the space between his brows.

            Jeremy had never seen Will look stressed before. He found that he didn’t like it. Unthinkingly, Jeremy put his arm around Will’s shoulder, giving it a sympathetic squeeze. Will flinched, rapidly looking over at Jeremy in shock. Jeremy felt his face heat up as he yanked his arm away. He stupidly treated Will like he would have treated Christine or Michael when they were sad or stressed. Idiot!

            “S-sorry! U-um…y-you looked like you needed s-someone t-to, I don’t know! You just look like you needed someone!” Jeremy word vomited. Why?! Oh why, was he such a spaz?! Why couldn’t he find the words to say?! He had just creeped Will out big time! Damn his need to help people in emotional distress! He put his head in his hands. _What did I just do?!_

            “You-you know what? I’ll just walk home! It’s only a few blocks from here anyway!” Jeremy rapidly said. That was a lie, but he needed to get out of this situation, and fast. Will was still looking at him strangely, but snapped out of it when Jeremy opened the door to get out.

            “Quit having a meltdown Jeremy. It’s fine. I’m just not used to physical contact. Now, close the door, it’s cold,” Will said, starting the car. Jeremy closed the door, giving a quiet sigh of relief. At least he wasn’t going to have to walk in the dark on a cold night. And, most importantly, he didn’t scare Will off. Jeremy didn’t know what he would have told Christine and Michael if Will called off the deal all of a sudden.

            The drive was silent as they headed toward Jeremy’s house. Jeremy mentally slapped himself when he remembered that Will knew where he lived. Will knew how long it took to get from Pinkberry to his house. Once again, he was such a spaz.

            Jeremy redirected his self-depreciating thoughts of himself to the boy beside him. Will had said that he wasn’t used to physical contact. Jeremy could remember from a young age being held by his father (occasionally his mother), and having two friends like Michael and Christine all his life gave him more than enough physical affection. It made Jeremy wonder what kind of life Will had been living so far. And the stress he exhibited at only 17 years-old because of work was hard for Jeremy to wrap his mind around. Weren’t their teenage years supposed to be the time to lay back and enjoy the remaining years of their childhood? Work-related stress wasn’t supposed to occur until later!

            Jeremy glanced in his peripheral to observe Will. He was focused on the road ahead, a thoughtful look on his face as he drove. As much as he hated to admit it, Jeremy could honestly say that Will was the handsomest guy he knew outside of magazines. He had the bone structure that most guys would kill for, sharp and angular with high cheek bones, yet soft around the eyes. Jeremy could get lost in those eyes easily, the color was like the ocean, dark blue with deep depth. It was a depth that Jeremy wanted to swim into, and search for the secrets that laid beneath. The black curly hair that was usually swept back was beginning to fall across his face in slightly tighter curls. Throughout the day they had come undone from the perfect coif each time Will ran his hands through it, in what Jeremy assumed was an unconscious habit. The curls looked soft to the touch, and made Jeremy want to push them out of his face, but he kept his hands to himself this time.

Jeremy noticed dark stubble was beginning to show on Will’s face, and there was light bruising forming beneath his eyes. Jeremy had been so preoccupied with himself and his other friends, that he hadn’t paid much attention, but Will looked exhausted. And here Jeremy was keeping him out late on a school night just so Jeremy wouldn’t have to be alone with two teenage girls. How selfish was he? Will should be at home sleeping, not taking Jeremy home late at night. Jeremy realized that Will was a lot nicer than he presented himself to be.

Will had agreed to help him tonight when he had work to do for his father, plus his school work. Jeremy had learned today that Will was not only taking all advanced courses in high school, but some online college courses as well. Jeremy didn’t know how he kept up with it all, in addition to catering to himself, Michael, and Christine. He knew they could get to be a handful when they were all together (their parents had told them as much over the years), so it couldn’t be easy. Guilt hit Jeremy in full force again.

“Hey…are you okay?” Jeremy asked against his better judgement. Will could easily tell him to buzz off and mind his own business. Jeremy knew him well enough now to know that Will would have no problem telling him what he thought. Will looked over at him tiredly before looking back at the road.

“I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind recently,” he said calmly. Jeremy was surprised he hadn’t had his head ripped off by the usually temperamental boy.

“Okay. Well, I know that we are hanging out because of a business deal and your dad and stuff, but if you ever want to talk, just let me know. I don’t like gossip, so I won’t spread your business around or anything. You just look really tired is all,” Jeremy said, not quite believing what he was saying. This was really none of his concern. The boy beside him remained silent. Jeremy did what he did best and back-pedaled.

“F-forget I said anything. I didn’t mean to act like a know-it-all or anything. It really is none of my business. Sorry…,” Jeremy said in a rush. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

The silent car ride ended a few minutes later. Jeremy had never been so relieved to see his house before in his life. The silence had been suffocating.

“Thanks for the ride,” Jeremy said, unfastening his seat belt, and opening the door. He grabbed his back pack from the back seat and closed the door. Before he walked away from the car, he heard the driver’s side window go down. He turned to see Will looking at him with a thoughtful expression.

“I’ll take your offer into consideration,” he said pensively, before raising the window up and backing out of the carport. Jeremy stood in his driveway and watched the car leave until the lights were engulfed by the darkness of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus, the relationship progresses. It will be more understandable later why I'm slow burning their relationship. I'll just say that Will has a lot of trust issues (heaped on top of other issues) that need to be sorted out. As someone with this problem, I will say that it takes a little bit for a person you recently met to get close. You don't want to let just anyone in too quickly. It was easier to bypass this phase in the last story because Michael and Jeremy already knew one another, and had a deep, trusting bond beforehand. It's different this time.  
> Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! There will be more of these moments in the future since Will professed an interest in talking to Jeremy more since Jeremy opened the door. We shall see! :)


	9. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will trains Jeremy in the art of being more chill.

The next month was uneventful for Jeremy. Besides the sudden rise in popularity, nothing worth noting had occurred. Though Jeremy, Michael, and Christine’s schedules had changed somewhat. They were now invited to hang out with the ‘popular kids’ so to speak. Chloe, Brooke, and Jenna would invite Christine to go on shopping trips with them to the mall. Jake would invite Jeremy and Michael to hang out at his massive house sometimes too. Jeremy was finding that he was growing progressively happier as the days passed. The only negative factor was that he was growing more and more concerned about Will.

Will would spend time with them at school, but afterwards he had to rush home to have online conference calls for SQE. The bags underneath his eyes were growing more pronounced, and Jeremy had caught him dozing off during lunch multiple times over the past month. He forgot to shave on more than one occasion as well. The obvious signs of stress on his frien-…okay, maybe not ‘friend. Coach? Mentor? Acquaintance? Jeremy didn’t know where to place Will in his paradigm of relationships, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about the guy’s well-being…for some strange reason.

“Is the company going through a bad time or something?” Jeremy asked him one day after school. While Will hadn’t taken him up on his offer yet, he did do weekly training sessions with Jeremy to teach him how ‘to be more chill’.

Will thought Christine was ‘adequate’ and didn’t need training. Jeremy thought it had more to do with Christine being a girl and Will not knowing enough about girls’ popularity. Not that the guy would admit it.

Will had spent one afternoon with Michael, and that was all they could stand of one another. All Jeremy knew was that they left for Will’s house after school, and an hour later Jeremy was receiving a phone call from Michael saying that he was ‘NEVER spending time alone with that psycho, ego maniac ever again’. Jeremy didn’t bother to ask for further information, especially when Will came to school the next day with a permanent scowl etched on his face.

Thus, that left Jeremy alone in his training. He was currently balancing a stack of heavy books on his head to improve his posture. Will was observing him, straightening his spine every time Jeremy began to slouch. The guy looked exhausted, rubbing his eyes every so often. At Jeremy’s question, he looked up.

“What are you talking about?” he asked with irritation. Geez this guy was as prickly as a cactus.

            “I mean you look like you’re about to pass out at any minute. You’ve looked like that for the past month. I was trying to be considerate and ask if it was the company making you tired,” Jeremy said patiently. Getting mad at him wouldn’t make the other boy open up. Jeremy had learned that quickly since he had first met Will a month and a half ago.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m fine, unlike your posture,” he said smacking Jeremy in the back, causing him to wince. Jeremy straightened his spine and continued to walk back and forth across the expansive living room.

            “Bull. You look exhausted. I know you aren’t getting enough sleep,” Jeremy said as he walked, tilting his head to prevent the books from falling off. He heard a sigh, but didn’t turn his head towards the other.

            Complete silence followed as Jeremy kept his back straight and paced the room. After a few minutes, Jeremy was certain he wasn’t going to receive a reply. It wasn’t until about five minutes had gone by that Will began to speak.

            “My father put me in charge of a new software system that is to come out next year. I’m the head over all the developers, engineers, marketers, and many other people right now. That, on top of my course work in both college and high school has taken a toll on my sleep cycle. I can’t afford to screw any of this up. If I fail this, it will show that I’m not fit to lead in the future.”

            Jeremy took the books off his head and stared at him. Will was currently massaged the point between his eyebrows again. Honestly, he was surprised Will had told him anything. Putting the books on a side table, Jeremy sat a respectable distance away from him on the couch.

            “Um…are you working on your other company work too?” Jeremy asked cautiously. He didn’t want to have the other boy shut down on the conversation as he had tried to do before.

            “Yeah, luckily those projects will be complete next week. Then, I can focus more on the new line,” he said tiredly. Jeremy frowned.

            “Why did your dad assign you to do something like that? You already had enough going on as it was. Putting more on you isn’t fair. I would even say that it is signing you up for failure, or at least a greater chance of having you make a mistake,” Jeremy said, speaking all the words passing through his head without filtering any of it. Will gave a humorless laugh.

            “I mean…you’re a handsome, popular teenage guy! You’re supposed to be going to wild parties, dating cheerleaders, and hanging out with the football team after school! Not coming straight home and working till you pass out!” Jeremy continued to rant. Man, no wonder this guy acted like he had a stick lodged up his ass! He was constantly thinking, planning, and working. Jeremy would have had a complete mental breakdown long before this moment.

            Will gazed at him with an indecipherable expression on his face as Jeremy continued his one-sided conversation. He probably thought Jeremy had lost his mind, but the lanky teen could have cared less at this point.

            “And what kind of father let’s his kid live in a house all by himself?! I mean, even MY dad would have a problem with that, and he spends most of his time passed out on our couch!” Jeremy gave a frustrated grunt, and ceased his rant, crossing his arms in agitation.

            After a moment of silence Will asked, “You think I’m handsome?”

            Jeremy looked at him in exasperation. “Out of all the things I said, THAT is what you got from it?” he asked incredulously. Will laughed, actually laughed. It was deep and warm, and Jeremy felt his face heat up at the sound and sight. Jeremy thought he should do it more often. The boy had dimples that Jeremy didn’t even know existed until now. Will stopped and looked at Jeremy with a warm expression that Jeremy didn’t know the teen knew how to make. His cheeks felt like they were on fire.

            “No. I was joking. I’ve never heard someone talk like that about my father before. Usually people agree with whatever he says, and tell me that I should try harder. The stress of being a CEO is limitless, and I need to get used to the feeling and learn how to deal with it on my own. My father knows this, so he challenges me with these tasks. Even if I’m only 17, I won’t be forever. I might as well grow up now rather than face reality later unprepared,” he said. Jeremy could see the logic, but still thought Will could use a break.

            When he didn’t respond, Will sighed, and gave Jeremy a thoughtful look. Jeremy sighed with him and stood up.

            “I’m going to the bathroom,” Jeremy said in explanation. Will nodded.

            “You remember where it’s at?” he asked.

            “Yeah, I don’t think I need a map this time,” Jeremy jokingly replied. He heard Will chuckle as he headed out of the room.

            When he got back, he heard a loud grating noise emanating from the couch. Jeremy carefully tip-toed forward and snickered under his breath at the sight. Will’s head was thrown back over the head of the couch, a trickle of drool pooling at the corner of his mouth. Loud snores were coming out of his open mouth. Jeremy had never seen him look so undignified. He giggled at what the look on Will’s face would be if he saw the sight of himself now.

            Jeremy pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped a quick picture of the sleeping teen. He silently laughed at the picture, and put the device back in his pant’s pocket. Jeremy grew concerned that Will’s neck would get a crick if he stayed like that for too long, so he went to adjust his head.

            Jeremy stood in front of Will, and gently laid his head onto the couch. He was attempting to help the body lay horizontally, but instead Jeremy’s clumsiness got the best of him and his foot tilted. This caused him to fall softly on the couch, making Will’s head plop into Jeremy’s lap. Jeremy sat still, waiting for the other to wake up. It seems Will was either a heavy sleeper, or he was just that tired, but he gave a loud snore from Jeremy’s lap. Jeremy sagged his shoulders in relief, but then began to panic internally.

            Jeremy was lodged underneath Will’s body! There was no way he could get out of this without waking him up! Jeremy threw his head against the arm of the couch as sighed. He didn’t want Will to wake up, the guy looked like he hadn’t slept in years instead of just a month. If he woke him up now, that meant he wouldn’t go back to sleep for God knows when. If Jeremy was being honest, he would admit that he didn’t want Will to move. The weight felt nice and warm against him, and he thought Will’s sleeping face looked younger, more at peace. Jeremy smiled, and bravely raked a hand through Will’s dark curls. It was as soft as it looked, just as Jeremy had thought.

            As he stroked through the dark waves, a finger pulled through a knot, causing Jeremy to accidently pull on Will’s hair. Will groaned in his sleep, causing Jeremy to slightly jump in surprise. Experimentally, Jeremy purposely tugged on a loose curl. The result was another low groan to emit from the sleeping boy, shortly after a snore fell out of said boy’s mouth. Jeremy blushed, apparently, he had found an erogenous zone of Will’s. This thought was proven true when Jeremy looked down to see a noticeable bulge in Will’s jeans. Jeremy flushed harder at the sight and squirmed as he felt himself harden.

            _Stop it Jeremy! Stop it!_ He thought as he counted to ten over and over again until he softened back down. The guy was asleep for God’s sake! Jeremy felt like a pervert for getting excited in the first place. How deprived was he?! Good God!

            Jeremy looked down and smiled at the open-mouthed, snoring face. Great…he was getting in too deep with his feelings…as usual. There was no way this would work out in his favor. The guy was most likely straight. And even if he was into guys, there was no way Jeremy was his type, let alone in his league! This guy probably had dated models and good-looking people with lots of money. Jeremy was no where near any of those things! He had to crush this infatuation before it went any further!

            Will snorted in his sleep and burrowed further into Jeremy’s lap, a small, satisfied smile on his lips. Jeremy internally groaned, slapping a hand over his eyes.

            _Holy shit…I have a huge crush on William Squip._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I know it's been a couple of days, but I've been working... ugh. I've been adding onto this chapter as well, and it's finally done! We have a little more development! Hope you enjoyed it! I love comments and kudos, they give me motivation! :D
> 
> P.S. 'prickly as a cactus' came from How the Grinch Stole Christmas song. I was watching it while writing the chapter, and I thought 'Hey! Let's put that line in there!'


	10. Bowling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy gets to go bowling with the guys.

 

Jeremy woke up to a gasp of surprise and a sudden jerk of movement. He opened his heavy eyelids to see a flustered William Squip staring down at him from the other side of the couch. Jeremy felt too tired to react, so he sat up and stretched his arms and back out, groaning in the process. He saw Will falter in his peripheral, but chose to ignore him.

            Jeremy squinted at the morning sun peaking through the curtains of the living room. He rubbed his eyes and fully looked over at the other boy. Will flinched as Jeremy looked over at him. Jeremy wanted to laugh at the startled look on his face, but kept the sleepy look on his face instead.

            “Feel better?” Jeremy asked groggily. Will frowned in response. In Jeremy’s opinion, the guy looked ten times better than he had the night before. The dark circles underneath his eyes had lightened up considerably, and the redness in his eyes had almost disappeared completely. His dark, curly hair stuck out in multiple different directions. A thin layer of drool was stuck in the corner of his mouth. Both of his dark blue eyes were wide as they stared at Jeremy in alarm.

            Not being able to contain himself anymore, Jeremy began to laugh. The seriousness of his face did not match up with the rest of him at the moment. It might have had to do with just waking up, but Jeremy began to laugh till tears came to his eyes. All the while, Will’s frown deepened, clearly not seeing the hilarity of the situation.

            When Jeremy calmed down, he wiped the tears from his eyes and asked the same question again. This time, Will replied with words.

            “I’ve been better,” he said coldly. Jeremy’s mood dampened somewhat, but he shrugged and stood up.

            “I better get going. I’ve got to meet up with the guys later. You should come with us. We’re going bowling,” Jeremy said politely.

            “I’d rather not. I have business to attend to. I’ve lost precious time already by sleeping in this late,” he said dismissively. Jeremy frowned. Why did he have to have a thing for this jerk again? Surely it wasn’t just for his looks. Jeremy didn’t consider himself a vain person, he had never had anything to be vain about. He tended to look for the good in people rather than how they appeared on the outside. Maybe all of the little moments of kindness he had seen in Will had gradually grown over time until he found himself falling for the guy? Jeremy could see there was good in him, it just wasn’t shown often enough. Jeremy felt determined. He would help William Squip understand what its like to act his age, and be kind in the process.

            “Come on! It’ll just be for a couple of hours. SQE won’t fall apart in only two hours! It’ll be fun!” Jeremy chided. Will groaned and put his face in his hands, rubbing them down his face.

            “You’re going to keep asking me until I say yes, aren’t you?”

            “Probably,” Jeremy replied with a smile. Will rolled his eyes and nodded. Jeremy gave an internal whoop of joy. He honestly hadn’t thought it would be that easy to convince him to come. Will went up to his room to change while Jeremy went to freshen up in the bathroom. He looked down at his clothes and sighed. He was going to have to go home to change.

            Will came down the stairs looking as handsome as usual. It looked like he took a shower as well. Jeremy had put his jacket and scarf on, waiting on him at the base of the staircase.

            “I need to go home to get changed,” he said, looking at Will. The other guy shrugged.

            “Just borrow an outfit of mine. It’s no big deal,” he said nonchalantly. Jeremy held down a nervous blush as he nodded.

            “Okay…you’re either going to have to draw me another map, or lead me there,” he said, rolling back and forth on his feet. Will rolled his eyes again, but waved at Jeremy to follow him up the stairs. Jeremy smiled softly behind his back and followed.

            Will’s room looked exactly like how Jeremy had imagined. It was large and barren with stark white walls. There was a queen-sized bed with a black comforter and pillows along the left side of the room. The back wall contained a large black desk with a huge, sleek monitor sitting on top. A black filing cabinet sat beside the desk. The left wall contained a huge (surprise, surprise black) book shelf jam packed with business books and magazines. Other than that, there was a door leading off to what Jeremy assumed was a personal bathroom. There was nothing covering the walls, and the room felt cold and empty to Jeremy.

            Will walked over to his walk-in closet and pulled open the doors. He pulled out a pair of jeans and a plain light blue t-shirt. Jeremy took them and walked into the bathroom, which was as stark as the rest of the room had been, excluding the normal hygiene products you would see in any bathroom.

            Jeremy changed clothes and walked out of the bathroom. The outfit was loose in some places, but not enough to make that much of a difference. When that had been done, both boys went out to Will’s car and drove towards the bowling alley to meet the rest of the group.

            They rode in the car in comfortable silence until they reached their destination. When they got there, they saw the rest of the group had already made it. Michael stood with Jake and the rest of his friends. Rich stood off to the side looking at his phone, but making discrete glances towards the group.

            Will and Jeremy got out of the car, the boys turned once they got closer to them. Michael’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of Will and Jeremy. Even Rich looked perplexed at seeing him there.

            “Hey man! Glad to see you could make it!” Jake said looking at Jeremy. “And you got Squip to come!”

            “Hey Jer! I tried to text you to see if you needed a ride, but you never answered. You didn’t answer last night when I tried to text you either,” Michael said worriedly. Jeremy put an arm around his necked and whispered, “I’ll tell you later.” Michael nodded in response. Jeremy had to get his newest revelation off his chest. It was hard looking at Will and not saying anything. Jeremy was a heart on his sleeve type of person, and it took a lot of effort on his part not to show his attraction to the surly boy.

            “We can leave you two alone if you want to make out now,” Rich said snidely, glaring at Michael, who looked down with a faint blush. It wasn’t the right time to be self-conscious about Rich looking at him. Michael’s look could easily be misconstrued to those who didn’t know about his long-time crush on the shorter male. Currently, Jeremy was the only one who knew the truth besides Christine, who wasn’t there at the moment.

            “Careful Rich, your jealousy is showing,” Will said dryly. Rich and the rest of the group looked at him in surprise. Rich blushed a deep red. “Whatever, I’m going in,” he said with irritation before stomping off.

            Michael looked down and Jeremy pulled his arm away from him, patting him on the back in sympathy. Jeremy felt a hand on his lower back, pushing him away from Michael and towards the entrance where Rich had just entered. Jeremy looked up to see Will hurrying him along. That was new, usually the taller boy would leave without them. Jeremy turned to see Michael following them dejectedly while Jake talked to him in a happy tone, clearly trying to cheer him up. The other boys were close behind, talking about an upcoming game.

            When they got their shoes on, they set up their information in the computer and began to bowl. Michael, back to his usual self, jokingly asked for bumpers. Jake told him there was no fun in that and playfully pushed him towards the lane. He hit nine pins his first time and picked up the spare on the second. Videogames weren’t the only things he was good at. Michael could have joined a sport’s team if he had wanted to. The group whooped at the play while Michael gave a victorious bow.

            “I’m warning all of you, I suck!” Jeremy said, holding his hands up to the group as he grabbed his ball. The other boys laughed.

            “Come on Jer! Show us what you got!” a guy called Mark called out.

            “You can do it Jeremy!” Michael said from beside him. Jeremy threw his head back and laughed before aiming the ball and rolling it onto the lane. The ball almost made it to the pins before hitting the gutter. Jeremy turned around and shrugged.

            “Told you so!” he said knowingly. The group laughed in response.

            “You got one more chance, you got this kid!” Jake said, rubbing Jeremy’s shoulders dramatically. Jeremy snickered and threw a few open-air punches like he had seen the boxers do on TV.

            “Here, let me show you how to aim,” Jake said, trying to be helpful. Jeremy nodded. Jake stood behind Jeremy and grabbed the arm Jeremy was holding the ball in, swinging the arm and straightening Jeremy’s body in a teaching manner. Jeremy felt a blush coming on, but held it in, letting the other boy control his body. After a few experimental motions, Jake let him go.

            “No homo!” Tod, another basketball player, yelled jokingly behind them. Even Michael was genuinely laughing with them. The only two not laughing, but scowling were Will and Rich.

            “Come on, we haven’t got all day,” Will growled from his seat with his arms crossed in agitation. What was up with him? Jeremy assumed he was mad at being coerced to get away from his work. Oh well…he would get over it.

            Jeremy lined up his shot again and threw the ball with more strength. The ball wavered, but managed to hit the front pin, causing the other nine pins to fall into a perfect strike. Jeremy looked down the lane in surprise. He had never gotten a strike in his entire life until now. He turned around and jumped in excitement. Racing over to Jake, he hugged him in his excitement. Jake laughed and returned it, causing the others to whoop with them. When the laughter had died down, it was Will’s turn.

            The tall teen stood up, and headed towards the lane with his ball, casting a glare in Jake’s direction briefly. No one seemed to notice the action except Jeremy though, since Jake was too busy regaling the others about his superior teaching abilities.

            Jeremy watched Will line up the shot, and throw the ball straight into the gutter. Jeremy almost laughed at the crest fallen look on his face, but smothered the grin. Jeremy thought Will would be the type to be naturally good at everything, it was nice to see that wasn’t the case.

            “Do you want me to show you how I did Jeremy?” Jake asked helpfully. Will scowled, but hid the expression when he turned around, exchanging it for a playful, teasing one.

            “No thanks man! I’ve had my fair share of homo today,” he said snickering. Jake rolled his eyes playfully at him, while the others laughed around him.

            Will lined up the shot again, and threw the ball. It made it a little bit farther before landing in the gutter. Dejected, Will sat down quietly as the others patted him on the back. They gave him words of encouragement as the next player was put on the board.

            After multiple different games, Jake was declared the overall winner. It wasn’t surprising to Jeremy, who hadn’t done half as bad as he thought he would. He came in fourth place, but he wasn’t complaining. Will sat quietly beside him at the café where they decided to have lunch. He had gotten last place, with a total of ten points.

            Michael sat beside Jake. As winning second place, he and Jake were celebrating their victories over root beer floats. Jeremy shook his head at their antics and looked over at a solemn Will. He gave the boy a small smile.

            “You’ll get better next time. It was just for fun after all,” he said softly. Will looked at him blankly and looked back down at his salad again. The guy wouldn’t buy a burger no matter what Jeremy said to convince him. Though they did compromise on him ordering a chocolate milkshake, which he only had taken a few small sips of to Jeremy’s chagrin. It wasn’t like one shake or burger would ruin his figure! Jeremy refused to push the subject though. It wasn’t worth it.

            “I’m not mad about the stupid game. It wasn’t that big of a deal to me,” he replied, thinning his mouth out a little bit. If Jeremy didn’t know any better, he would think that William Squip was pouting! Jeremy smiled at him.

            “What are you smiling at?” Will asked, squinting his eyes at the other teen. Jeremy shrugged and took a bite out of his burger.

            “Nothing. I was just thinking that you seem to be in a terrible mood over just a ‘stupid game’,” Jeremy said, swallowing his burger.

            “I’m NOT in a ‘terrible mood’. Anyway, you seem to be happy considering the school’s basketball captain was all over you earlier. Don’t think I didn’t notice that blush. Just because all of these other guys are unobservant imbeciles doesn’t mean I am,” he said, clenching his hand on his fork and stabbing at the lettuce.

            Jeremy felt himself turn red in embarrassment. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And don’t change the subject. Don’t think I’m not going to stop trying to find out what your deal is today,” Jeremy said grouchily, willing his face to return to a normal color. Will scoffed, but didn’t say anything more.

            After they were done eating, the group headed outside. Jake turned around to look at Will.

            “Y’know what would be awesome? Is if we throw a party this coming up weekend!” Jake said excitedly. Will gave a forced smile. Jeremy knew that Will and teenage party did not mix well together.

            “And you think it should be where?” Will asked, already knowing the answer.

            “Your house of course! Everyone is tired of my place by now. You need to hang loose and throw the wealth around man!” Jake said, throwing an arm around Will’s neck. Jeremy was surprised that Will kept his ‘public persona’ intact. The look in the guy’s eyes showed abhorrence at being touched by the other boy.

            “I guess you’re right. I think Saturday night would be the most convenient, but it is BYOD!” Will said, clearly not okay with this plan at all.

            “I can dig it! Me and Rich will spread the word, won’t we buddy?!” Jake said, slinging himself off Will and onto Rich, who began to turn a bright shade of red.

            “Y-yeah, t-totally!” he said in a high-pitched voice. Jeremy turned to see Michael cast a depressed look down at his shoes. Poor guy.

            “Then its settled!” Jake roared, joined by the other guys whooping in excitement.

            Jeremy laughed, but looked over to see a scowling Will, a flustered Rich, and a depressed Michael. This party was bound to be interesting.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The party will be in the next chapter, and it is going to be a doozy! Hope you enjoyed this chapter (even if it was just a filler). Thanks for the support, kudos, and comments! :D


	11. The Party Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy and Michael go to the party of the year.

        “You slept over at WILLIAM SQUIP’S house?!” Michael cried as he shot up from his laying position on Jeremy’s bed. They were both getting ready for Will’s (albeit forced) party tonight. Jeremy was putting his on a navy-blue button up shirt on with a black over coat, while Michael wore a black Bob Marley graphic t-shirt with a gray cardigan and red skinny jeans. Will had accepted the outfit as ‘geek chic’, or so Michael said, but Will had given Jeremy a series of eye rolls and a toss of his hands up in the air in exasperation when the topic was brought up.

            “Yes, and don’t yell. You’ll wake up my dad,” Jeremy said quietly, buttoning up the last button of his shirt and throwing his jacket on. Afterwards, he examined himself in the mirror. He had to admit, he looked good. Will had done an amazing job on him. The clothes fit him perfectly, making him look tall and lean instead of lanky and awkward. His hair appeared soft and styled in soft waves. Even his face was clear thanks to the weeks of skin care done with expensive face cleansers. He gave a smile to the mirror, feeling confident for once in his life.

            “Like what you see,” Michael teasingly mocked beside him. Jeremy threw a glare at him and turned back to his reflection.

            “Why yes, yes, I do,” he said, smirking slightly at his friend. Michael scoffed and fell back on the bed again.

            “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me and Chris! You tell us everything,” Michael said, pouting. Jeremy sat down on the bed beside a prone Michael.

            “I’m sorry. I honestly just didn’t think about it. For some reason, I just felt like I should keep it to myself. We talked about some private things, so it felt…I don’t know…intimate. Like I shouldn’t share it,” Jeremys said, looking down in contemplation.

Jeremy had considered telling them after bowling the other day, but then decided against it. It felt like a special moment between he and Will. The selfish part of him wanted to keep it that way. This crush had started making him do things that he had never done before. Meeting Will had changed him. For better or worse? Jeremy had no clue.

            “Y’know, it kinda sounds like you have a thing for the guy,” Michael said, pulling himself off the bed again, sitting down next to Jeremy. Jeremy jerked his head back and forth in vigorous motions.

            “No! No! I don’t feel anything like that for a guy like him! He’s rude, cynical, and not to mention two-faced! I also bet he’s been with millions of women too! I bet he is straight as an arrow. Plus, even if he wasn’t straight, he wouldn’t be into a guy like me. He would be with good-looking guys like Jake Dillinger, or Abercrombie and Fitch models. He wouldn’t be interest in a lanky, awkward nobody like me. Even if I felt like we connected once or twice before. It was all in my head I’m sure…,” he said trailing off, looking down. He felt his eyes start to sting at the hopelessness of the situation. He was right, someone rich and handsome like William Squip wouldn’t look his way twice. The only reason he knew him now was only because he wanted to use him to win his father’s approval. Otherwise, he and Will would have been worlds apart.

            “Oh Jer… don’t talk like that about yourself. You just admitted that you looked good tonight. Sure, maybe Will isn’t the best starter boyfriend, but there are other guys out there, and girls. I mean, look at me. My situation has been hopeless for two years now! But y’know what? I’m going out and I’m looking for a man tonight who is going to love me back! I deserve at least that much Jer, and so do you. You also have more of a variety than I do too!” Michael rambled, throwing an arm around Jeremy’s shoulder in a one-sided hug.

            Jeremy rubbed his eyes, getting rid of the sting. “Yeah, you’re right. I need to get over this. It’s just a stupid crush anyway. It’s not as serious as your feelings for Rich,” Jeremy said, shaking his head and standing up. Michael looked up at him with a worried expression, but said nothing.

            “Let’s head over. By the time we get there, we’ll be fashionably late, like Will said,” Jeremy told Michael, looking over at him with a small smile. Michael sighed, getting up from the bed.

            “You know, I should have guessed your feelings beforehand. You’re the only one who hangs on to everything he says when it comes to ‘being more chill’, or whatever it is he says. AND you quote him,” Michael said, shaking his head. Jeremy glared at him and walked out his bedroom door with Michael following closely behind him.

\---------------------------------------

            Once they parked at the edge of Will’s gigantic driveway, they walked up the path to the crowded house. There were multiple lights going on and off through the windows. Jeremy and Michael rang the doorbell and waited outside. A minute later, the door open to a smiling Will, but when he saw who was at the door his face turned into one of agitation.

            “There are numerous people in my house Jeremy. Why are there numerous people in MY house?” he asked with irritation. Jeremy looked at him blankly while Michael snickered.

            “Because, you fell prey to Jake Dillinger’s cheerful optimism,” Jeremy deadpanned. A corner of Will’s mouth lifted slightly, but then turned down just as quickly as it had come up.

            “For once, I think you’re right. Come on in,” Will said, moving aside to let the boys in. “Christine and the others are already inside,” he said.

            “Alright! Let’s partay!~” Michael sang as he ran through the door confidently. Multiple guys turned and whooped as they saw him run towards them. A few of them Jeremy recognized from the bowling alley. He noticed Tod giving Michael a once over. Jeremy gave a small smile. Maybe Michael could find someone new tonight. Jeremy hoped it worked out for his friend.

            “How long has this been going on?” Jeremy asked Will, indicating towards the raging party. Will gave an exasperated sigh.

            “Too long! Fuck this! Come on! I can’t think with all this racket!” he yelled over the noise. Everyone was either too drunk or too enthralled in their conversations to listen to him. Jeremy nodded and followed him, only to be dragged back. He looked down to see Brooke hanging off his arm.

            She was clearly intoxicated based on her rosy cheeks, glassy eyes, and the alcohol smell emanating from her. Her body swayed from side to side, riding up her mini skirt and lowering her low-cut blouse. The tops of her breasts spilled out from the top. Jeremy gulped, but smiled politely.

            “Hey Brooke! What’s up?” he asked. The girl giggled in response.

            “Heeeeyyyy Jer! It’s soooooo good to see you! I’ve been waiting on you! I want to dance with ya!” she said, dragging him onto the dance floor (a.k.a. the living room). He stumbled along with her, attempting to keep her standing upright as she swayed her hips to the music. She turned around and threw her arms around his neck, grinding against his hips in time to the beat coming from the loudspeakers.

            “Brooke! I don’t think this is a good idea!” he squeaked. She simply laughed and flipped her blonde hair out of her face. Okay, so she clearly wasn’t listening to him. He internally sighed. Brooke had a nice personality, and not to mention gorgeous, but Jeremy didn’t have feelings for her in that way. His body, however, had other ideas. He was a teenage boy after all, which was why there was a response to her grinding in his pants. Panicking, he backed away after pulling her arms from his neck.

            “Hey Brooke! Let’s go outside so you can sober up!” Jeremy yelled over the music. Brooke laughed in response.

            “Sure! Whatever you say Jer!” Brooke yelled.

            Jeremy wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her as he led her out on to the deck. The cool air hit their faces as he opened and closed the door. He had her sit on one of the deck chairs and took off his jacket to put around her shoulders.

            She looked up at him through thick golden lashes and giggled.

            “Thank you Jer!” she chirped. He nodded.

            “You’re welcome. Stay here, I’m going to get you some water okay?” she nodded and watched him run into the party again.

            He ran through the crowd and waved at the people who called out to him. In the corner, he saw Michael talking to Tod with a drink in his hand. Jeremy was glad he was talking to other people beside him and Christine. It was nice to see him branching out.

            After obtaining a water bottle among all the liquor, he ran back outside. He sat beside Brooke and handed her the bottle. She twisted the cap off and tilted her head back to get a big mouthful of water. After she drank half the bottle, she twisted the cap back off and gave a low belch.

            “I’m so sorry Jeremy,” she said, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. She looked considerably soberer now, much to Jeremy’s relief.

            “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” he said, giving her a small smile. He looked ahead at the river and breathed in the fresh air. It was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again.

            “You’re really a gentleman Jeremy. Thank you for that,” she said, looking straight ahead. Her green eyes were glassy, and not in a drunk way, but in an ‘I’m about to cry’ way. She looked sad to Jeremy.

            “Are you okay Brooke? You look upset,” he said in concern. She smiled sadly and looked at him.

            “No, I’m not,” she said quietly. “I’m going to tell you something Jeremy, but I’m begging you not to tell a soul,” she said, looking like she was about to panic. Jeremy nodded vigorously.

            “I promise I won’t tell anyone,” he said. She gave a nod and took a deep breath.

            “I know you’ve had to have noticed how I’ve been clinging on to you lately… I like you as a person Jeremy, I really do. Any other guy would have tried to sleep with me by now, especially earlier. But you came out here and gave me water and a jacket and let me sober up. No other guy I know would have done that,” she said looking at him with tears in her eyes. He blushed in embarrassment, which made her give a watery smile.

            “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve been using you to make someone jealous!” she blurted out rapidly. He blinked at her, but said nothing. Jeremy wasn’t mad, he might have been if he felt like he had been led on in the first place. Honestly, he had chocked Brooke’s interest in him to being apart of her personality. She was always hanging onto other people, girls and guys alike. He thought it was just Brooke being Brooke. He never thought he was any more special than the others. Instead of mad, he felt flattered she deemed him good enough to make someone jealous.

            “Okay, continue,” he said calmly. She looked at him with tears running down her face.

            “I haven’t been trying to make just anyone jealous. I’ve been trying to make someone I consider my soulmate jealous!” Brooke cried, laying on his shoulder. He put an arm around her shoulder, patting it in sympathy. Unrequited love, he knew what that felt like.

            “I see. I’m sorry it’s been so painful,” he said quietly. She sniffled.

            “It’s okay. It’s useless to be honest.”

            “You’re kidding! You’re Brooke Lohst! You’re one of the most attractive girls in our school! Who wouldn’t want to be with you!” he said in surprise. She was hot, but not conceited about it. She was super nice and fun to hang out with. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to date her?

            “That’s so sweet Jer! Wah!” she said, sobbing into his shoulder again. He flinched, but continued to pat her on the shoulder.

            Once she calmed down again, she whimpered something into his shoulder. Jeremy leaned down to hear her more clearly. Taking the hint, she spoke louder.

            “It’s Chloe. I’ve been trying to get Chloe’s attention,” she whimpered pitifully. Jeremy felt his eyes widen. Feeling him tense, she scooted away from him slowly.

            “I’m sorry if you’re disgusted Jeremy. I know it’s uncomfortable for some people to hear,” she said softly. Jeremy shook his head at her.

            “No! Brooke, to be honest, I just wasn’t expecting it to be Chloe. I don’t have a problem with you two being girls. I’m bisexual for God’s sake!” he explained quickly. Brooke looked up at him in surprise.

            “Really?! Me too!” she said excitedly. “I didn’t know there were others like me at school!”

            “Yeah, well, none of us have come out yet, so it’s still a secret, but I’m bi, Michael’s gay, and Christine is ace. So, you’re definitely NOT alone!” Jeremy said excitedly. She beamed and threw her arms around his neck again, but this time it was friendly.

            “Thank God! I’ve been so scared that I was the only one who felt this way!” she cried. Jeremy felt a pang in his chest. Poor girl, he wished he would have known about her dilemma sooner.

            After they separated he heard a thud behind them. They both turned to see Rich standing there in shock. Brooke and Jeremy both froze, unsure of how much he heard. Rich broke the silence.

            “So, I wasn’t too far off base then. You’re bi and Mell’s gay? AND Brooke Lohst too?” he asked shakily.

            _Damn it!_ Jeremy thought with dread.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tadah! I'm going to work on part 2 tomorrow! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	12. The Party Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! Rich knows! :0

 

            Jeremy felt sick at seeing the shorter male stare at him with open-mouthed shock. They were all in deep shit and it was all because of him not paying attention to his surroundings. Brooke was sobbing beside him, clearly distressed at the situation. He was sure he was about to cry too.

            “Rich…please…*hiccup*…I’m begging you…*sniff*…don’t tell anyone, especially Chloe!” Brooke cried, tears and mascara pouring down her face.

            “I know you can be an ass sometimes, but please don’t let anyone know this stuff. None of us are out yet, and it’ll be torture if everyone knew,” Jeremy pleaded.

Rich closed his mouth, and gave a snort.

            “You really think I’m that much of a dick?” Rich asked, clearly irritated. He scratched the back of his neck and walked over to the chair closest to them. Rich sat roughly down and looked over at them with his arms crossed.

            “Look, I don’t plan on telling anybody anything about either one of you. I’m bi AND in the same boat as you, Brooke. Why would I say anything?” Rich said looking down at his shoes tiredly. Jeremy frowned.

            “What do you mean in the same boat?” he asked, turning around to check the door in case someone else decided they wanted to join them. He turned back to Rich when he saw no one there.

            “I mean, I have someone that I love, someone I consider ‘my soulmate’, who will never love me back,” he said, his blue eyes turning sad. He grew silent, Jeremy assumed he was done when a few minutes went by. Even the usually talkative Brooke was silent, her head laying on Jeremy’s shoulder. He could feel his shoulder becoming wet as she silently cried. Rich broke the silence to Jeremy’s surprise.

            “Y’know, I wasn’t always the Rich Goranski you see in front of you. I moved here in freshmen year,” he said. Jeremy shook his head.

            “I don’t remember seeing you in freshmen year,” he said.

            “Of coursth you didn’t, becausth I wasth Dick Goransthki,” he said, his voice quickly taking on a lisp. Jeremy looked at him in shock. He went back to his usual way of talking.

“I was bullied by the seniors mercilessly that year. I was short, with mousy hair and huge glasses that were held up with masking tape because my dad chose to buy liquor instead of new ones. My mom died right after I was born, and my dad didn’t take it well. I grew up with him beating the shit out of me at home, and the douche bags at school would beat the shit out of me again there. There was no escape. Then one day, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was tired of it all, so I reinvented myself. I got a factory job and made some money to pay for contacts. I even made enough to take some speech classes to control the lisp. I have to be careful, or it slips out sometimes. The job even helped me gain muscle mass,” he said, flexing one of his arms. “I dyed my hair, and by the time I got back to school, no one even remembered ‘Dick’, now all they knew was ‘Rich’.”

            “Hell…even my dad won’t mess with me anymore. I punched him into my bedroom window one time, and he hasn’t tried to touch me since. I’m popular, I can get laid now, I’m athletic, but I can’t have what I really want despite all that,” he said.

            Jeremy looked at him in surprise. So, the guy wasn’t that different from him and his friends after all. However, that still didn’t give him the license to be a major asshole to everyone though. Jeremy’s thoughts flitted to Michael and his crush on the guy. Jeremy wasn’t for sure he wanted to hear about who Rich considered his ‘soulmate’ to be, if only for Michael’s sake. He wasn’t for sure if he could look Michael in the eye if he knew who it was that Rich had feelings for.

            “So, who do you like?” Brooke asked, lifting her head off Jeremy’s shoulder. Jeremy, apparently, wasn’t going to get a choice in the matter. Rich looked down at his shoes again.

            “Jake…,” he quietly said, looking down. Jeremy’s heart ached for Michael. The guy could be as hard on himself as Jeremy could be on himself. If he knew Rich liked Jake, he would be devastated. Despite Michael saying he was moving on, Jeremy knew that would be easier said than done. It was then that Jeremy decided that he would keep quiet on this new information for his friend’s sake.

            “Oh, Rich. I’m so sorry,” Brooke said, looking sympathetically at her friend. Jeremy nodded, but chose to keep quiet. He was way more loyal to Michael than this guy.

            “It’s fine. I’m fine,” Rich said quietly. Jeremy frowned, then sighed. Maybe all Rich needed was a break. A break from being someone he wasn’t. 

            “I know…dads can suck,” Jeremy said quietly. Rich looked up in surprise at Jeremy. Brooke looked over at him in confusion.

            “What are you talking about Jeremy?” Brooke asked.

            “My mom left us last year to be with a younger guy. My dad’s been drinking and passing out on the couch ever since she left. He won’t even put on pants anymore. He won’t go to work. He just sits there day after day waiting on her to come back. Y’know, he won’t even talk to me anymore. He just sits there drinking and staring at the news day in and out,” Jeremy said, eyes tearing up and voice quivering. Brooke laid her head on his shoulder again, caressing his arm up and down in comfort.

            “Anyway…dads can suck,” Jeremy whispered. Rich looked down and nodded.

            “Yeah, they can,” he said in response. Brooke nodded against his shoulder.

            “I wouldn’t know if they sucked or not. My dad has never been around long enough for me to figure it out,” she said softly.

            “Probably for the best. At least you know you’ll never be disappointed,” Rich said, continuing to focus on his shoes. Jeremy nodded slightly in agreement. Brooke sniffled, but said nothing further.

            “So, me and Brooke have confessed talked about our crushes, what about you, bi guy? Guy or girl?” Rich asked, looking up at Jeremy with a smirk. Jeremy blushed at the question.

            “No one in particular,” he said quickly. “Ow!” he yelped as Brooke pinched his arm.

            “Don’t lie Jeremy Heere! Come on! Confess!” she said, a teasing tone to her voice.

            “Yeah Heere, tell us all your secrets,” Rich laughed, wiggling his fingers towards Jeremy. He rolled his eyes.

            “Fine. It’s a guy, but that’s all I’ll say!” Jeremy said, his face heating up. Rich looked at him with a contemplative look, as if he didn’t know whether to ask something or not. Jeremy arched an eyebrow at him.

            “It isn’t Mell…is it?” he asked, a sharp edge to his voice. Jeremy began to laugh.

            “Michael?! Hell no! He’s like a brother to me. He feels the same way too! Me, him, and Chris have talked about our feelings for one another a while ago,” Jeremy said laughing. Rich looked down and back up again at him, his face taking on a pinkish hue. “Y’know there are ‘childhood sweethearts’ who grow up and get married, right? Well, all of us talked about it, and we found out that we all loved each other, just not romantically!” Jeremy said smiling.  “I’ll share something with you two as long as you don’t tell anyone else, okay?”

            They both nodded, so he continued. “When we were in Jr. High, Christine came up with an idea that we should all kiss each other to make sure one of us didn’t have feelings for the other without realizing it. She had just watched a movie with a scenario like that, and she wanted to make sure we weren’t in the same situation. So, we all got together in Michael’s basement, it’s where we hang out a lot, and kissed each other. It was all our first times kissing somebody, so it was kind of awkward, but we found out that none of us liked each other like that! It was like kissing siblings to be honest,” Jeremy finished. Brooke and Rich stared at him before shrugging.

            “Well…I guess that makes sense in a weird way,” Rich said, looking out at the river. Brooke nodded in agreement.

            “Yeah, I wish I would have used that excuse with Chloe when we were younger,” Brooke said wistfully. “I have to ask, which was better? Kissing Michael, a guy, or Christine, a girl? I’m asking because I tend to lean more towards girls than guys most of the time. Though I have been with guys that I’ve really liked in the past. Not more than Chloe though,” Brooke asked curiously. In his peripheral, Jeremy noticed Rich jerk his head toward Jeremy, face expressionless.

In all honesty, Jeremy had never considered it before now. He had liked it in different ways. Christine’s lips had been soft and tasted sweet, while Michael’s had been slightly rougher and tasted of mint toothpaste. Michael had insisted on brushing his teeth before their experiment. They had both been pleasant kisses.

Jeremy had noticed plenty of girls and guys in the past, but not one more than the other. When it came to porn, he enjoyed straight over gay. He felt that was more preference though than some psychological gravitation towards females.

            “Honestly, they were both good first kisses. I didn’t like one more than the other. I’ve liked an equal amount of girls and guys over the years. I don’t really lean one way or the other,” he said. She nodded against his shoulder.

            “Interesting. What about you Rich?” Rich jumped slightly, clearly, he had been listening to Jeremy very intently.

            “Well, I have to say I’ve noticed more guys than girls, even though I’ve never had sex with a guy before,” he said blushing. “I guess I’ve been waiting for the right one. I’ve already lost one virginity without putting much thought into it. Now, I want the second to matter,” he said quietly.

            “Same. Only about girls, not guys,” Brooke said thoughtfully. Jeremy felt his face heat up, but said nothing.

            “Don’t worry Heere. It’s pretty obvious you’re a virgin on both counts,” Rich said teasingly. “We won’t pressure you into talking about your sexual exploits,” he snickered. Jeremy glared at him.

            “Har har. You’re hilarious Goranski,” Jeremy said. Rich continued to snicker while Brooke giggled.

            “It’s okay Jer. I think it’s sweet that you haven’t given yourself away yet. If I wasn’t so hung up on Chloe, I would totally date you,” she said, snuggling into the crook of his neck. He smiled.

            “Thanks Brooke.”

            “Me too Jer!”

            “Go to hell Rich.”

            They all laughed. Jeremy never thought he would be having in depth, emotional conversations with Rich Goranski and Brooke Lohst. If anyone had told him this time last year that he would be doing this, he would have laughed in their face. A few minutes went by before Rich stood up from his seat.

            “Well, this has been fun, but I’m going back inside and drinking my cares away. You guys wanna join me?” he asked them both.

            “No thanks, I almost jumped poor Jeremy’s bones earlier. I think I’ve had enough for one night,” Brooke said, not moving from her spot beside Jeremy.

            “Yeah, it’s a little too loud for me, and I’m not that crazy about the taste of alcohol,” Jeremy said, shrugging. Rich nodded and waved at them before he headed back into the crowded house.

            Brooke wrapped Jeremy’s jacket tighter around herself, and snuggled closer to him. He appreciated the warmth she generated, and was also thankful about deciding to wear long sleeves tonight. Jeremy laid his head on hers and closed his eyes. He hadn’t even been inside that long, and it had still drained him of his energy.

            “Thanks for listening to me tonight Jeremy,” Brooke yawned. “And for being such a gentleman while I was acting like a complete skank.”

            Jeremy smiled against her hair. “It’s okay Brooke. Don’t even worry about it.”

            “You’re such a good guy Jer…,” she said as she drifted off. He was about ready to follow her. She really was a nice girl. After that thought, he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

\----------------------------------------------------

            Jeremy woke up by being pulled roughly from his resting place. Groggily, he looked up to see a red-faced William Squip. Behind him, he heard a cry of protest.

            “What the hell?! That scared me Will!” he heard Brooke say. Jeremy turned around to see her sitting up. When Will had pulled him, she had fallen into the cushion where Jeremy had been sitting.

            “Shut up,” Will told her coldly. His dark blue eyes were like ice and his mouth was formed into a scowl.

            “That’s rude! What’s wrong with you?” she said in agitation. Jeremy couldn’t blame her.

            “None of your business. Come on Jeremy,” he commanded, pulling Jeremy with him towards the door. Jeremy frowned and planted his heels into the deck’s floor.

            “No. Not until you apologize to Brooke. You’re being a douche for no reason,” Jeremy said, tugging his arm out of Will’s grasp. Jeremy thought the scowl the other boy wore couldn’t get any worse. Apparently, he was wrong.

            “You ditched me earlier so you could chase some tail Jeremiah. I’ve been looking for you for an hour. Now, tell me who is being a ‘douche’?” he asked coldly, snatching Jeremy’s hand and pulling him roughly through the door, leaving a confused Brooke behind them.

            Jeremy did his best to break free, but to no avail. The party at this point had grown wilder. The dances had gotten more risqué as people began to bump and grind in provocative movements against one another. Some people were passed out on the floor, while others were seen making out on various pieces of furniture. Michael saw Christine talking to Jenna Rolan in the kitchen, both seemed to be sober as they conversed happily. Jeremy turned the other direction to see a drunk Michael kissing Tod languidly as he straddled him in an arm chair. On the other side, he could see a glaring Rich Goranski standing beside a wasted Jake Dillinger, who was playing beer pong with a few of their friends. Before he turned the corner, he saw Rich leave Jake’s side and head towards the arm chair with a scowl on his face.

            Jeremy was surprised to see Will lead them out a side door towards the garage. The cool night air hit him in the face as they walked between the main house and the door to the garage. Jeremy grew confused as they bypassed the garage in favor of a building Jeremy hadn’t seen before behind it. Jeremy turned his head to see a huge inground swimming pool. How big was this guy’s property anyway?

            Will threw open the pool house door and pulled Jeremy inside, closing the door behind them. The inside resembled a decently sized apartment. It held a couch, bar, kitchen, and a side room that Will was currently dragging him into. Inside, there was a king-sized bed, flat screen TV, and a beautiful view of the river. Will threw Jeremy on the bed and crossed his arms as he glared at him.

            “Now then, care to explain to me what happened to you?” he asked coldly.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part III is coming next! Get prepared, because things are going to get steamy! 
> 
> P.S. It feels like every time I write about Will's house I add something on to it! Just how rich is he anyway?! Jeremy AND me want to know!


	13. The Party Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this is thousands of words of smut... I'm sorry mom...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this seems non-consensual. Jeremy is weak-willed to people he has feelings for (which is why he was able to resist Brooke so well), and Will is...well...Will. I don't want to give too much away tbh. I wouldn't call it non-consensual though.

 

Will looked at him with the worst scowl that Jeremy had ever seen him wear. He sat up from his laying position and looked up at him. Crossing his arms, he glared.

            “I’m sorry it seemed like I ‘ditched’ you. I was following you, but Brooke came and grabbed me-,” he continued to tell Will the shortened version of what had happened over the past hour. Although, he edited out the major parts of the conversations he had with Brooke and Rich. They weren’t all his secrets to tell after all.

            After he was done, Jeremy stopped and looked at Will. Realizing he was finished, Will arched on eyebrow.

            “You’re a terrible liar Jeremy. There are some things you’re keeping from me,” he said coldly. Jeremy shrugged.

            “I’m not going to lie, because you can obviously tell. Some things we talked about aren’t my secrets to tell,” he said. Will glared at him.

            “Secrets? And you aren’t going to tell me anything?” Will asked icily. Jeremy frowned and stood up, taking a few steps back from him.

            “Uh? Yeah. They aren’t mine to tell. It’s also none of your business,” Jeremy said, crossing his arms and glaring. He was going to put his foot down about this. Brooke and Rich confided in him, and he in them. Jeremy didn’t expect them to spread his business around, so why would he?

            “Are you sure about that?” he asked in a tone that Jeremy had never heard before. Jeremy deepened his scowl at him.

            “For the hundredth time, yes,” Jeremy responded. After the words came out of his mouth, Will lunged for him unexpectedly. Jeremy yelped as Will flung them both on the bed. Will pinned Jeremy underneath him, causing Jeremy to feel a thrill to run down his spine. He felt himself begin to harden at the feeling. Holy shit! Will was going to feel his boner if he didn’t calm down soon.

            Will, on the other hand, was a few inches from his face above him. His breath felt warm and inviting against his own. It was then that Jeremy picked up the scent of alcohol on Will’s breath. By the smell of it, he had drunk quite a bit. Considering his eyes, Jeremy could now see their glazed over appearance and his red face. It seemed that William Squip was officially wasted.

            “Will get off me! You’re drunk!” Jeremy yelped, trying to wiggle out from underneath him. Will gave a low grunt in response. Jeremy felt something hard poke into his leg. Oh God! The guy was getting hard from this! Jeremy felt another spine-tingling thrill run down his spine at the sound and feeling. He had to get out of this situation fast.

            “Come on Will! You’re not thinking clearly! Get off!” Jeremy tried not to move as much to prevent stimulating the other boy further. It didn’t seem to work as Will began to slowly grind against Jeremy’s hips.

            “Tell me what you talked about Jeremy… I’ll make you feel good if you tell me,” Will muttered against his ear, gently biting Jeremy’s ear lobe. Jeremy moaned in response. He had to get out of this or he was going to lose himself. It wouldn’t be right, especially since Will was obviously NOT in his right state of mind. If he was, he wouldn’t be touching Jeremy with a ten- foot pole.

            “Will we need to stop now! This is getting out of hand!” he pleaded.

            “No! I want to know what you talked about! Tell me Jeremy!” Will whined. Jeremy had never heard him sound that way before. These new sensations and feelings were making him lose his head.

            Jeremy felt himself hardening at the grinding motions being done against him. He could feel Will’s erection against his leg, making him whimper. This would be a dream come true if Jeremy didn’t know it took a certain amount of liquor to make it happen.

            “Will…ah…s-stop…ugh…ahh!” Jeremy felt his will power flowing down the drain as Will continued his ministrations.

            “If you…won’t tell me…hah…then don’t,” Will gasped as his grinding became rough and fast. “I want to…ah…I want to… cum…*grunt*…and have…sex with you,” Will moaned, not sounding like himself at all. Jeremy whimpered in response, feeling his pants tightening more at Will’s exclamations.

            “Please no! I’m...ah...I’m cumming!” Jeremy moaned, feeling his balls tighten. Will grinded him into the soft mattress one more time when Jeremy felt himself explode. His eyes rolled back into his head as he had the biggest orgasm of his life. The arms encircling Will tightened considerably as Jeremy used him as an anchor to keep pressure on his aching member.

            “Oh God! Will!” he groaned. He felt the other boy smirk against his neck. A moment later, Will stiffened against him, giving a low grunt in Jeremy’s ear as he came after him. The two laid there quietly for a few minutes, both coming down from their highs.

            Jeremy was in utter bliss for those few minutes. He heard Will quietly panting in his ear as he stayed in his current position against Jeremy. A moment later, Jeremy gasped as he felt hands rub against his bare skin from underneath his shirt. Will’s hands roamed all over his chest slowly, until they stopped to rub both of his nipples.

            Jeremy had never thought he would be this sensitive, but he was wrong. The rubbing motions went straight to his dick, causing him to loudly cry out. Will began to vigorously suck against his neck in the process, grinding down on him as well. Jeremy felt tears spring to his eyes at the stimulation.

            After who knows how long, Will abruptly stopped and pulled away from Jeremy to take his shirt off. His fingers stumbled with the buttons, with a grunt of frustration, he grabbed the shirt on either side and pulled. The buttons snapped off one by one until Jeremy’s white under shirt was exposed, effectively ruining Jeremy’s dress shirt.

            “Hey! That wasn’t cheap!” Jeremy cried in protest, causing Will to snort in response.

            “I’ll buy you a new one later,” he said, yanking the under shirt up and pulling it over Jeremy’s head and exposing his pale torso. Afterwards, he lifted Jeremy up to yank the rest of the shirts off his body, throwing them across the room when he managed to separate them from Jeremy’s person.

            “You know I don’t like you buying anything for me,” Jeremy snarked, pulling the other’s maroon sweater up, revealing a six pack that Jeremy wanted to desperately run his hands over. In fact, he was going to do just that. Horny Jeremy had officially taken over, and sensible Jeremy was kicked to the curb.

            “Get over it. I’m going to buy you ten of them,” Will said as Jeremy explored his torso.

            Ignoring the statement, Jeremy watched in fascination as the muscles his hands glided over twitched under his touch. Will gasped and yanked the sweater over his head, tossing it on top of Jeremy’s discarded clothes. He leaned down and began to lick and suck all over Jeremy’s pale chest and abdomen.

            “Oh God! Ah!” Jeremy gasped as Will marked him. After making Jeremy look like he had just come out of a boxing ring, Will grabbed onto Jeremy’s belt and undid the clasp. Yanking his jeans down and revealing his plaid boxers, Will mouthed along Jeremy’s clothed erection, causing the other to break down in a string of moans and gasps.

            “Will! Not there! Oh God! It feels…ah…it feels…so good!” he moaned in ecstasy. Will came back up and brushed their lips together before settling on Jeremy’s neck again. Jeremy arched it to give him better access.

 In his lustful state, Jeremy moved his hands from Will’s torso to his hips, undoing the belt that encircled him. Jeremy then unbuttoned the other boy’s jeans and pulled them down, showing off the other’s black briefs. Jeremy swallowed hard as he caressed the long, hard erection of the other. Will gasped against his neck, but did not cease his ministrations.

Boldly, Jeremy yanked the jeans down to his knees and began to rub the erection slowly. He stroked along the shaft and gently squeezed the heavy balls below. Will panted against his neck, no longer sucking, but instead choosing to enjoy the feeling of Jeremy’s hand against his dick. Jeremy felt a smirk form on his face at the accomplishment. Not bad for his first time touching another guy’s dick if he did say so himself.

It wasn’t long before he felt Will pulled his boxers down to his knees and kick them off Jeremy’s body. His erection sprang free, and laid in between their abdomens. Jeremy gasped at the pressure their bodies exerted against his aching shaft. To say it felt good was a huge understatement.

Determined not to be the only one feeling this way, Jeremy pulled Will’s briefs down as far as he could to his mid-thigh. It was enough to release the other’s erection though. Will gave a sigh of relief and pushed down the material until he could take them off, throwing them in a random direction. Now both naked, Jeremy could feel everything that Will had to offer. And it was a lot.

He felt his face heat up even more as his hand settled on Will’s shaft. It had to be at least six inches if not longer. Jeremy felt a tingling sensation work its way up his spine in anticipation. Holy shit he needed that thing inside him. His ass was twitching, letting him know that he needed it now.

Currently, Will was preoccupied with rubbing their erections together in slow, torturous movements. Jeremy took the opportunity to do something he had only done once or twice during masturbation. He grabbed his middle finger and sucked on it vigorously until it was coated in his saliva. Next, he positioned the finger outside of his rectum and began to rub against it, layering it with his spit until he managed to get the tip of his finger inside. Jeremy did his best to relax the hole until his finger was sucked inside. Jeremy gave a gasp at the sensation, focusing on the feeling of his tightening insides.

Removing the digit, Jeremy brought his hand up to his face and began to suck on not only his middle finger, but the ring and pointer fingers on either side of it. After they were properly lubricated, he moved them down to his aching hole, letting the middle finger go in, along with the pointer finger. He moaned as they both were easily welcomed inside. Rubbing his insides, Jeremy rubbed against the hole with the third finger, trying to relax as much as possible. The handful of times he had done this, the third finger had always been the toughest to get in.

After a few moments of coaxing, Jeremy finally was able to position the third inside without much pain. It stung slightly, but not enough to where Jeremy couldn’t ignore it. Wiggling his body and loudly moaning, Jeremy began to rapidly push his fingers in and out of himself, slightly scissoring his hole in the process.

Will, who had been preoccupied with their bulging erections the entire time, finally noticed Jeremy’s actions. He gave a low groan in response, pulling away from him to stare at Jeremy’s ministrations in lustful excitement.

“Oh God Jeremy…that’s incredible,” he muttered, staring as Jeremy’s fingers were sucked in and out in rapid movements. Jeremy felt his excitement increase at the praise, and at the other boy’s audience-like participation. He hadn’t thought he would be the type to like being watched, who knew?

Not long after, Will hesitantly caressed Jeremy’s hole, causing him to give a loud moan in response to the foreign touch. He saw Will gulp before gently removing Jeremy’s fingers. Jeremy gave a cry of protest that quickly turned into ones of lust as Will applied his own fingers instead. The other’s fingers were slightly bigger, causing Jeremy to focus on relaxing more. It didn’t take long before his body managed to accept the fingers just as easily as it had his own.

Will brought his fingers in and out slowly in experimentation, looking at Jeremy’s face every so often to make sure he wasn’t hurting him. Jeremy wished he was capable of speech at the moment, because he was as far from hurting as he could get. The feeling of Will’s fingers felt ten times better than his own. They were bigger, warmer, and most importantly, they belonged to the guy who he had been crushing on for over a month now. Jeremy was in a state of euphoria.

Will got braver as he began to scissor Jeremy open. Jeremy noticed him glide his tongue over his lips before leaning forward and sucking at the hole.

“SHIT!” Jeremy screamed at the alien sensation. It felt incredible. Will stopped to look up, a concerned look in his eye.

“I’m fine! I’m fine! Don’t stop!” Jeremy pleaded. Will gave a slight nod, relief in his eyes as he continued. Jeremy did his best not to squirm as Will worked his tongue inside of Jeremy.

“Oh God, Oh God…so good...don’t stop…Will…Will...,” Jeremy muttered over and over. His body sucked in as much as it could, but Jeremy began to crave more. He needed to be filled, and he needed it now.

“Will…ah…I need…I need,” he gasped. Will look up and removed his mouth from Jeremy’s ass.

“Tell me what you need Jeremy. What do you need?” Will asked, his voice deeper than Jeremy had ever heard it before. He caressed the inside of Jeremy’s legs.

“I need…more...*pant*…more…I…*pant*…want… you…need you inside,” Jeremy pleaded. He wanted it, no, needed it, now. His body felt like it was about to explode if it wasn’t satisfied soon.

Will’s eyes blew up to the size of saucers, he looked down hesitantly. He looked scared and unsure. Jeremy felt the heat and lust ebb somewhat. Jeremy felt his face heat up in embarrassment. He had gotten too far ahead of himself, again. Sure, they had broken down a lot of boundaries so far, but that didn’t mean Will wanted to actually have sex with him. Hell, Jeremy wouldn’t want to have sex with him either.

Jeremy felt the buildup slowly drain from his body as cold reality washed over him. He pushed himself away from Will, who looked up in surprise. Jeremy felt his face heat up even more. He was such a spazz.

“I’m sorry! F-forget I said that! I’ll j-just go, it’s o-okay if y-you don’t w-want to,” Jeremy stuttered out. Honestly, it wasn’t okay. He wouldn’t be able to look Will in the eye ever again after tonight. The guy was drunk for God’s sake! Jeremy felt guilty. He had been taking advantage of the situation, like a creepy pervert. He vaguely registered Will’s frown.

Jeremy yelped as Will yanked him back down, closing the distance between his face and Jeremy’s hole. Jeremy screeched as Will invaded his body again with his tongue. He rapidly sucked against it until Jeremy was a squirming mass of lust again. Damn his hormonal, teenage body.

Will removed his face from Jeremy and replace it with his fingers, quickly pushing and stretching him until he was a quivering mess. Even his legs were twitching at the stimulation. Will removed his fingers and pulled himself up, positioning his member outside of the hole.

Finally getting to see it, Jeremy felt his mouth begin to water. It was long, thick, and had a bulging vein running down the side. A thin sheen of sweat covered the length, even making it down into the dark hair at the bottom. The thick, heavy balls he saw hung down low, causing Jeremy to salivate even more. He wondered hopefully if he would ever get the opportunity to give William Squip a blow job, despite never having given one in his life.

Hesitantly, Will guided the member against Jeremy’s hole. He rubbed his head against the outside, and pushed slightly inward. Jeremy groaned, his body allowing the head to pop in easily. Will grunted, closing his eyes at the sensation. He pushed in slowly, only hesitating when Jeremy would quietly whimper.

It stung every now and then, but otherwise felt fine. When he finally bottomed out, Jeremy gave a low groan. He had never felt so full in all his life. It felt heavenly, even the slight ache that came along with the sensation. Jeremy peeked one eye open to see Will with his eyes shut tightly. His face was the definition of concentration. Jeremy was flattered to see that Will was trying his best not to hurt him, but he really needed him to move.

Remembering a discovery from over a month ago, Jeremy brought up his hand and raked his fingers through Will’s hair, gently tugging. Will’s eyes flew open, when his body gave a rough thrust into Jeremy. Jeremy groaned in response.

“Damn…that felt good,” Jeremy moaned. Will looked at him in surprise before giving an experimental thrust, causing another loud noise to erupt from Jeremy’s lips. After a moment, he saw a small smile take over Will’s face before he leaned down to give Jeremy a peck on the lips. Afterwards, he pulled his member out with a grunt before thrusting rapidly back in again. And again. And again. Until the motions became continuous, causing the bed to creak as a result.

Jeremy, for his part, made the most embarrassing noises he had ever heard, some he didn’t know he was even capable of making. His hands had traveled from Will’s hair to his back. He felt his nails curl into the muscle as their movements turned more erratic. Will’s hands kept a tight grip on Jeremy’s hips the entire time, pushing him into the mattress with each thrust.

“Shit, Jeremy, you’re so tight. So tight for me,” Will muttered against his ear as he rode him mercilessly. Clearly, the hesitancy from before had been thrown out the window as he continued to whisper filthy things into his ear. Jeremy whimpered and moaned in response, continuing to hug Will tightly to him.

“Come for me Jeremy. Come for me, honey,” he muttered, sucking on his earlobe. Jeremy cried out as he felt his orgasm rush over him in waves. It wasn’t long before Will joined him, crying out and tensing on top of him. Jeremy felt a warm, thick substance drip in between his legs, but chose to ignore it in favor of hugging the other boy tightly to him before they both came to their senses again.

Once he caught his breath, he heard a rough, grating sound emanating from the boy on top of him. Jeremy smiled as he realized the other had fallen asleep, while he was still inside of him. If it had been anyone else, Jeremy would have been slightly annoyed. Having the rich, cool William Squip do it was humorous to say the least. Jeremy was sure he would be horrified if he woke up in this position with Jeremy of all people.

Jeremy reached in between them to gently pull Will out of him, then grunted as he pushed his body to the side of him. After freeing himself, Jeremy contemplated leaving. He always knew he wouldn’t be the one-night stand type of guy. Honestly, Jeremy had no desire to leave, but he wasn’t for sure if Will would think the same when he woke up.

 Jeremy didn’t know if Will was gay, bi, straight, or whatever else, but he was sure he wouldn’t be happy to see that it was Jeremy he had slept with. Jeremy didn’t even know if Will would remember any of this. That thought made Jeremy feel cold inside. This more than likely meant more to Jeremy than it did Will. Jeremy was sure Will had lots of past sexual experience. Jeremy wouldn’t even make it in the top ten.

For Will, Jeremy was a means to an end, a stepping stone at most. Jeremy was sure Will would toss him if he knew Jeremy wanted to put feelings into this, or knew he had slept with him. With that thought in mind, Jeremy got up, wincing slightly, and began to slowly put on his clothes. Thinking self-depreciating thoughts as he did so.

 

           

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, thousands of words of smut. This is a new record for me. Hope you enjoyed it. :) This chapter does further the plot, even if it seems like nothing but smut. 
> 
> P.S. I'll respond to comments later tomorrow. I have to be at work early so I don't have time to respond like I want to right now. Thanks for understanding!


	14. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy panics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! Here is my gift to all of you!

Jeremy limped out of the pool house as fast as he could, scared that Will would wake up before he could make a break for it. It terrified Jeremy to no end to know that at any second he could come face to face with a disgusted William Squip. Jeremy knew that he would be disgusted when he saw that he had slept with him. He didn’t want to see the angry, grossed-out look in his dark blue eyes. It was best that it be kept a mystery who Will slept with tonight.

            Once he made it back to the main house, he straightened his spine and attempted to walk normally without others catching on to his previous activities. It was already suspicious enough that his button up was now torn down the middle, and his hair was mussed from frantic hands being raked through it. Not mention the numerous hickeys covering his neck and body. The only blessing was that his wrinkled undershirt covered up the majority of them.

            Guiltily, he snuck through the crowd of drunken teens, trying to find Michael. Jeremy frowned as he looked the area over and saw no traces of Michael or Christine. He turned the corner and walked down a random hallway, blushing as he heard various sounds as he passed each door.

            “Right there!” Jeremy heard a familiar voice yell. Jeremy walked toward the door where he heard the voice, opened the door slightly, and peeked inside. Jeremy felt his face turn a vibrant shade of red as he took in the scene in front of him.

            Rich Goranski had Michael Mell pinned up against a wall, his hand down the front of Michael’s jeans, while their mouths moved against each other sloppily. Neither boy took notice of the third party in the doorway. Jeremy silently closed the door, a smile framing his face. Way to go Mikey!

            Not ruining his friend’s chance at happiness, Jeremy left the two in favor of searching for Christine. He slightly limped through drunken bodies, turning his head every which way to find his small friend. Not seeing her anywhere, he sighed and headed for the entrance.

            “Jer!” he heard a voice yell. He turned to see Brooke Lohst maneuvering around the crowd, his jacket in her arms. Jeremy smiled and waved.

            “Is everything okay with Will? He looked really angry when he dragged you off!” she asked with concern. In response, he nodded. It took a lot of focus to keep the tears from springing into his eyes at the mention of Will. As cliché as it sounded, he felt like his body was there, but his heart was still in the pool house laying in Will’s arms. That feeling of emptiness hurt him to no end.

            “Yeah he’s fine…we’re fine. He was just upset that I disappeared for a little while. Will wanted to hang out before the party got too wild,” Jeremy said, forcing down the nervous blush that threatened to come up. Will was right…he was a terrible liar. Lucky for him, Brooke seemed to buy it.

            “Okay good! I was worried about you guys. I’ve never seen him so standoffish before,” she said in surprise. Jeremy gave a nod, he might as well help the guy with his reputation. After all, the guy had told Brooke Lohst (one of the most popular girl’s in school) to ‘shut up’ earlier for goodness sakes.

            “Yeah, he was drunk. I think he’ll feel bad about the things he said when he sobers up,” Jeremy lied. Yeah…there was no way Will would feel repentant, even if he did remember the words he had spouted at her. Hell, even sober Will would have just thought the words instead of saying it aloud. Jeremy really did have poor taste in men.

            “I understand. As you already know, I don’t handle alcohol that well either,” she said sheepishly.

            “That’s an understatement,” Jeremy teased, smiling at her false angry face.

            “Hush, you!” she said, hitting him gently on the arm. They both laughed, and Brooke handed him his jacket back. Jeremy thanked her and gave a sigh. When she gave him a puzzled look, he gave her a smile.

            “I can’t find Chris or Michael, so I don’t have a ride home. It’s not a good idea to walk in the dark this late, and my house is too far,” he told the blonde, scratching the back of his head as he did so. He didn’t want to stay overnight, especially when the guy that took his virginity was in the same vicinity.

            “Well, I’m about to leave. You can come with me and I can drop you off at your house. I’m sober now that I got some fresh air and took a nap,” she offered kindly.

            “I would really appreciate it! Thanks Brooke,” Jeremy said smiling. She gave him a responding nod, and left him for a few moments to tell her friends that she was leaving. After she returned, they headed to her mother’s car.

            As Brooke hummed to the music on the radio, Jeremy looked at the house in the rearview mirror forlornly. He was beginning to regret not staying, because he was beginning to miss the warmth of Will’s body next to his.

\---------------------------------------------------

            The following Monday morning found Jeremy staring at himself in front of his bathroom mirror. He was currently trying to give himself a pep talk. His stomach was in knots, and his face was turning a gruesome shade of red at the prospect of seeing Will again. There had been no calls or texts from him, so Jeremy assumed Will didn’t remember anything about that night. Surely, if he did know, Will would have come by to kick his ass or call to yell at him in anger.

            _It is for the best Jeremy. Guys like that are NOT into guys like you, nor will they ever be. Go to school, act natural, AND FOR GOD’S SAKE, DO NOT TURN RED OR STUTTER! Be more chill! You got this Heere!_ He mentally chanted as he stared at his now clear complexion.

            Coming to his senses, Jeremy walked out of the bathroom, grabbed his bag, looked over at his snoring father in frustration, and left the house. Once Jeremy shut the door behind him, he turned around and jumped in surprise at the sight of William Squip’s BMW in his driveway. The boy climbed out of his vehicle and waved Jeremy over. Nausea creeped back into Jeremy’s stomach as he took in the sight of Will. He wasn’t mentally prepared to see him yet! Jeremy thought he had at least another hour to contemplate on how to treat the other boy. Waving back, Jeremy fought down his emotional turmoil and walked towards the car.

            _He is NOT into you. He does not remember that night! He feels nothing for you, so don’t feel anything for him! Ha! Too late for that Jeremy, you’ve already fallen off the proverbial cliff a long time ago. No! Don’t think self-depreciating thoughts right now! They won’t help you! Act natural. Act natural. Act natural Heere!_ Jeremy screamed in his head, thinking the latter over and over again in a constant mantra. He held on to it in a vice-like grip in his mind. It managed to work somewhat, as his nausea subsided, along with the redness in his face. Of course, the redness could be contributed to the cold air surrounding them.

            “Hey Will! What are you doing here?” Jeremy asked. He was proud that he managed to sound nonchalant. The acting courses Will had been giving him were paying off after all!

            Will, on closer inspection, looked like a wreck. His hair was slightly askew, the curly waves sticking every which way. The bruises under his eyes were still there, though not as prominent as they had been in the past. His blue eyes looked at Jeremy worriedly. At least he didn’t appear angry, and ready to beat Jeremy into the pavement.

            “Hello Jeremy. I came to pick you up for school,” he said. Jeremy heard a hint of nervousness in his voice. Odd.

“Well, this is new. You’ve never picked me up before. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were warming up to me,” Jeremy joked. _That’s right Jeremy, act natural._

“I guess so,” Will said. A pinkish hue covered his face then. Jeremy almost blushed in response. Warming up indeed. Why did he say that? How was that natural again?! The guy had his dick up Jeremy’s ass barely two days ago for goodness sake! Oh God, what if he was acting this way because he remembered! Will was never this polite and shy! It was rubbing off on Jeremy. Hell, it was making Will look more endearing by the second. If Jeremy fell any deeper, he would be in hell. Jeremy didn’t know if he preferred this Will, or his angry, condescending side. At least he could pretend to hate that part of him!

            “Okay then,” Jeremy said lamely. _Genius response Jer. Genius_.

            “Come on in. It’s cold out here,” Will said, avoiding eye contact.

            Jeremy nodded and climbed into the passenger’s seat. He was thankful that he had decided to wear a scarf today. It was effective in covering up the hickeys he still had on his neck and collar bones. And everywhere else. It had been both pleasant and mortifying to see the dark bruise-like marks all over him when he got home that night and showered.  

            The ride to school was the most awkward silence Jeremy had ever experienced in his life. And Jeremy had had a lot of those before. He had noticed Will looking at him several times in his peripheral vision. It made the heat creep up on his face even more no matter how hard he was fighting to keep it down. When they were a few minutes away from school, Will broke the silence.

            “Hey…the night of the party-,” he began. Jeremy felt like he was going to throw up. Shit. Here it comes.

            “Did you happen to see me hanging out with anyone in particular, or go off alone with someone?” he asked. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes actually held fear in them. If Will knew it was Jeremy who he had been with, he would have confronted him about it already. The guy was blunt to a fault. There was no way he was tricking Jeremy into admitting anything. The question also let Jeremy know that Will truly had been intoxicated that night. The guy didn’t remember anything. Jeremy felt relieved, then guilty for the feeling. He had taken advantage of Will. Jeremy was a despicable human being.

            “No, I didn’t. Sorry,” Jeremy lied. This only furthered the point that he was a terrible person. He couldn’t tell Will the truth. Selfishly, he didn’t want to lose Will. Jeremy could care less about the popularity or the new clothes. The friendship (if you could even call it that) was already on thin ice. One wrong move, and the whole thing would fall through. Will would never speak to Jeremy again, and he didn’t know if he would be able to emotionally cope if that happened.

            “I see,” he sighed.

            “Why do you want to know?” Jeremy asked, faking confusion. Will shrugged with a glint of sadness in his eyes.

            “No reason, just wondering. I got a little drunk the other night and don’t remember a whole lot,” he confessed. “I remember telling you to follow me, and then Jake asking me to play beer pong. A few drinks in and I can’t remember anything else,” he finished.

            “Oh. Well, sorry I didn’t come with you. Brooke grabbed me and drug me off to the dance floor,” he said. Will frowned, but said nothing. The concerned look was replaced with petulance the rest of the drive.

            When they finally got to school, both boys got out of the car and walked into the school. As they walked, Jeremy saw several heads turn towards them. He heard muttered whispers everywhere. Dread climbed up Jeremy’s spine. They knew. Everybody knew. Someone had noticed them leave the house together. Whoever it was must have put two and two together. Will would know by the end of the day that Jeremy had lied to him! He was going to be sick again.

            Will frowned at the whisperers, but said nothing. Looking forward, Jeremy saw their group of friends standing outside of his locker. Weird, they usually all meet at Chloe’s. Jeremy observed each of his friends’ faces. Christine and Jenna whispered back and forth, looking at Jeremy with contained excitement. Jake was looking at Jeremy with a smirk on his face, while Rich toyed on his phone, though he looked like his thoughts were a million miles away. Michael was looking at his shoes, his ear buds pushed into his ears. His eyes looked misty behind his glasses, he looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. Jeremy would have to talk to him later. Jeremy flinched at the look of hatred on Chloe’s face as he approached, while Brooke looked at him nervously behind her.

            “H-hey, what’s going on?” Jeremy asked once they approached. Most of the group (with the exception of Michael and Rich) looked at him coyly. Brooke, however, still looked nervous, and Chloe scowled even deeper at him for some reason.

            “I think you know what’s going on Jeremiah Heere,” Jenna said, a knowing smile on her face.

            “Yeah Jeremy. You need to fess up,” Christine said smugly. Jeremy felt sick. They knew! Shit, damn, fuck!

            “I have no idea what you two are going on about,” he continued. Jeremy was going to ride on this wave of ignorance while it lasted. There was no way he was going to talk about this in a crowded hallway with multiple people whispering behind their backs.

            “Fine. Play dumb. Because we know you and Brooke made yourselves official the other night! Everybody is talking about it!” Jenna squealed excitedly. Jeremy felt frozen. What?

            “Huh?” he replied dumbly. He saw Will freeze beside him as well. Jeremy saw his face form into something ferocious, all of it directed at the blonde behind Chloe.

            “Dustin Kropp told Jake, who told Tod, who told Madeline, who told me that you two were seen leaving the party together the other night! And reports also mention seeing you snuggled up on Will’s back deck that night too! Word is you even let her borrow your jacket! You’re such a gentleman Jer!” Jenna gushed. Christine giggled, clearly happy for him, even if it was sorely misplaced.

            “U-uhh,” he said, not knowing quiet what to say. Okay, this was NOT the rumor he thought it would be. This had come out from left field. Jeremy had no idea how to react. He looked over at Brooke, who was looking at him with pleading eyes from behind a scowling Chloe Valentine.

            “So, did you two hook up? Brooke won’t say,” Chloe asked, crossing her arms and sticking her nose up at him. “Brooke isn’t just a one-night stand or a random hook up. She is worth so much more than that. You better treat her right, or I’ll rip off your nut sack. So, choose your next words wisely,” she said, glaring at him. He visibly gulped.

            Brooke looked at him with the same pleading expression. Will took his intense gaze off of Brooke and stared at Jeremy with a serious expression. Everyone was waiting on a response.

            _Why me?_

 

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Jeremy. Everything always goes wrong for him. Sorry this chapter took so long. I had to work, and then Christmas distracted me, but I managed to finish it! Hope you enjoyed it!


	15. Lies and Avoidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy and Brooke conspire. Btw, what's up with Michael and Rich?

 

            Jeremy stared at the group with a blank expression. In reality, he wanted to cry. Why did this stuff have to happen to him of all people?! Lying was not an option, while he was able to fool Will earlier when he was distracted, Jeremy would not be able to do the same to Michael and Christine. They both had known him for as long as they had been alive, they would know if he withheld the truth from them. A memory hit him just then.

 *

 *

  

            _“Okay. You are a shit liar, but I know how to get around that,” Will told him with his arms crossed in front of Jeremy. They were both sitting in Will’s room practicing Jeremy’s social skills._

_“I don’t want to lie though. Isn’t honesty the best policy?” Jeremy asked. Will rolled his eyes._

_“Alright. Let’s say by some miracle, you do get a girlfriend. What are you going to do when she asks you, for example, if she looks fat in a new pair of jeans, when in reality, she looks like a bloated hippopotamus. How are you going to answer her?” he asked._

_Jeremy frowned at his condescending attitude. “I don’t know…tell her the truth. Only WITHOUT the ‘hippo’ part,” Jeremy grumbled._

_“WRONG!” Will said, flicking Jeremy in the forehead._

_“OW! What the hell?!” Jeremy shouted while rubbing the sore spot._

_“You wouldn’t have a girlfriend anymore if you answered in that manner! Now, let me teach you,” Will said, shaking his head in exasperation. Jeremy glared, but kept quiet._

_“You add in truth while misdirecting from the overall question asked. She asks you if she looks fat. The truth is ‘yes, but the color goes well with her complexion’. So, you say, “The color looks great on you, and that dress you own in that color makes your eyes pop! I love it when you wear that dress’. Just wait, she’ll be squealing over the compliment, forgetting what she had asked in the first place. You can’t make up something that is completely untrue, so mixing the truth and eliminating the lie is the best plan for you,” he explained._

_“You didn’t answer her question though. Surely, girls aren’t that stupid. Christine would notice in a second what you were doing,” Jeremy said, not convinced._

_“Christine is a different kind of girl. She wouldn’t be a type to ask such a question anyway. Chloe Valentine or Madeline Lancaster, on the other hand, will be putty in your hands,” he said with a shrug. Jeremy frowned._

_“It is a half-truth. Which is technically STILL a lie,” Jeremy argued with slitted eyes. How many half-truths had he given Jeremy so far?_

_“Fine, but when you get dumped or get in a bind because you couldn’t effectively do this, don’t come crying to me!” Will huffed._

_*_

_*_

 

            Jeremy was brought to the present again when Chloe poked him in the chest aggressively.

            “Hey! Are you going to answer me or not, Heere?” she asked aggressively.

            “S-sorry!” he said. Great…he was going to half to use Will’s advice based on the pleading look Brooke was giving him from behind her friend. Jeremy had to talk to her alone.

            “You’re right. Some of those things did happen between me and Brooke, but not everything that the rumors are saying. Brooke is an awesome girl, and I wouldn’t treat her like that. She is too good to be treated that way. You’re an amazing friend to be confronting me because you’re worried about your friend. However, I would like to talk with her alone for a minute, so we can talk about this. We didn’t get to finish our conversation that night,” Jeremy said smoothly.

Chloe looked gob smacked, while the others stood there looking no less than impressed. Will was frowning at him from the corner of his eye. Jeremy didn’t know if he would be able to fool him or not.

Finally, Chloe stood to the side to let Brooke walk towards him. She took his arm, and he led her away from the group, only to be grabbed from the opposite arm. Jeremy stumbled and turned to see Will looking down at his own hand in surprise, as if his body had moved without him telling it to.

“What’s up? I’ll just be a minute,” Jeremy told him. Will looked between the two quickly before letting go of Jeremy’s arm.

“Nothing…reflex,” Will muttered before turning around to the rest of the group. Jeremy frowned in confusion, but continued to take Brooke down the hallway.  When he found a deserted area, he stopped and pulled Brooke to the side.

“What is going on? Why didn’t you tell them the truth?” whispered Jeremy. Brooke looked down guiltily.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…Chloe has never reacted like this before when I was with a guy. I guess I got…carried away…,” she trailed off.  “Are you mad at me?” she asked, looking up at him frantically. Jeremy gave a sigh.

“No, I’m not mad, just a little upset. I know I didn’t say so the other night, but I have an interest in someone too. I don’t want hi-…I mean _them_ thinking that I hooked up with someone!” he said in a quiet tone.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry Jer! I was only thinking about myself. I had no idea!” Brooke said, eyes watering.

“It’s fine! We’ll just go back and tell them the truth,” he said. She shook her head rapidly in response.

“Please don’t! Chloe has never been like this before! Can we please just keep the truth to ourselves for now!” she pleaded with tears coursing down her face. Jeremy stayed resolute.

“Brooke. We can’t lie to our friends. It’s not right…,” he replied. The blonde looked up at him with a pitiful expression. Jeremy gave a huff of frustration and wiped a hand down his face.

“Fine, but we did NOT have sex. We just kissed, cuddled, and you dropped me off. Nothing more. And we were both kind of drunk when it happened. I’m not doing a cliché pretend dating scenario,” he said with a tone of finality. Brooke’s expression brightened. She jumped up and hugged him tightly.

“Thank you so much Jer! I won’t forget this! I owe you any favor you want!” she said excitedly. He gave her a fond smile.

“Okay, okay, you can let go now. I’ll think of something you can do for me later,” he said with a contemplative expression on his face. Brooke gave him an eye roll.

“You know, if you were any other guy, I would be really worried right now,” she said. He laughed and waved her to follow him back to their friends.

* * *

 

            By the end of the day, everyone was talking about Brooke Lohst and Jeremy Heere’s relationship status. The rumors ranged from the having sex on top of Will’s car during the party to having a threesome with Madeline Lancaster (Jenna claimed that Madeline had begun to spread that one to further her own reputation). Needless to say, Jeremy was ready for the school day to end. He was tired of random guys coming up and giving him high fives, and he felt exhausted at all the girls staring at him like he was a piece of meat.

            Their group of friends knew the truth, and did their best to clear up the rumors. Jenna was running herself ragged trying to tell people the truth, but even her intense social network couldn’t keep up with the rapid rumors flying around the school. Christine had been trying to aide Jenna in her plight, while Brooke and Jake did their best to help as well. Chloe had stayed shockingly silent throughout the day except that morning when she had threatened Jeremy’s manhood. The popular girl had instead chosen to glare at Jeremy all day. Will, for some reason, had been pouting all day alongside Jeremy, opting to make no comment, except to tell Jeremy it would help his reputation more ( _“She’s a popular girl. This could work to your advantage.”_ ), though he looked like he wasn't too enthused when he said it. Michael and Rich had been unusually quiet as well during the day. In fact, they seemed to be avoiding one another.

            They sat on separate ends of the cafeteria table, stood on different ends of the groups’ circle in between classes, and Jeremy had caught them more than once sneaking glances at one another. Jeremy was relieved to focus on something that had nothing to do with him. So, during their free period, Jeremy took Michael to the side away from prying eyes and ears.

            “What is going on with you and Rich today? It’s obvious something happened at the party between you two,” Jeremy said straightforwardly. _“You want to find out information, don’t stutter and beat around the bush. Look them in the eye and be firm. Show them that you are the alpha male.”_ Will’s voice floated around in his head as he looked into Michael’s dark eyes. Michael cast them down.

            “Nothing. Don’t worry about it Jer. I can handle it,” Michael muttered. Jeremy huffed. _“If they won’t tell you initially, hit them hard with the stone-cold facts.”_ He heard Will’s voice say. Jeremy frowned as he stared down his friend.

            “I saw you and Rich at the party. It was an accident, but I saw you two making out…among other stuff too,” Jeremy said. Michael jerked his head up in response. His eyes were comically wide in shock. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He cleared his throat.

            “Okay, yeah. Obviously, something did happen, but we didn’t go all the way. We only got as far as what you saw,” Michael blushed darkly. “But when we woke up beside one another the next morning…he…wouldn’t…even look…erk…agh…at me!” Michael began to sob, leaning into Jeremy’s chest.

            Jeremy felt his heart break for his friend. What had happened to Michael could have happened to Jeremy. This result is what Jeremy feared the most. Jeremy had never been so relieved to have gotten out of that pool house when he had the chance. Still, he felt more than sorry for Michael.

            “H-he s-said it…was…a-a…mi-mistake! He s-said h-he w-was drunk, a-and it d-didn’t mean an-anything!” Michael cried. Jeremy tightened his hold on the sobbing boy. He patted him on the back in the process, listening as the story came out in broken sobs.

            “I-I was k-kissing Tod…the basketball player, and I was having a good time! He was into me Jeremy…me! He said he was bi and he thought I was cute! I was so excited to have found someone who liked me for me! But then Rich comes out of nowhere and drags me away from Tod! He started yelling things like he did in the cafeteria at me. Tod yelled back at him and tried to stand up for me, but Rich got worse and punched him! He knocked him out too! Then he grabbed me and pulled me to the spot where you found us. He told me he was tired of seeing my…faggot face…and I should just leave…he didn’t explain anything…then he kissed me! And the rest you saw…,” Michael explained quietly. “After he told me the stuff I told you, he said to forget about it and walked off. I’m tired Jeremy. I just want to die. This love is so painful…,” Michael sniffed.

            “That bastard,” Jeremy grinded out, turning on his heels and leaving Michael behind.

            “Jeremy! Where are you going?! Stop!” Michael yelled after him. Jeremy could hear his footsteps following, but ignored them. All he could see was red. He had been watching silently as Richard Goranski had pushed and punched Michael with his words and strength for almost four years now. To think, he had bonded and felt sorry for the guy the other night! He had shared personal things with him that he had a hard time telling Michael and Christine! Rich had not only violated Michael, but Jeremy’s trust as well. Jeremy was tired of the bullshit, and he was going to end it today.

            Slamming the locker room door open, he bolted towards the back of the room where he knew Rich’s fifth period gym class tended to hang out after class. Catching sight of red-streaked blonde hair, Jeremy furiously walked through the group of boys who stared at him in shock as Jeremy used his height to his advantage and grab onto Rich’s collar, slamming him into the nearest locker.

            Will had created an exercise and nutrition program for Jeremy, Michael, and Christine. As far as he knew, he was the only one who stuck to it. The weight lifting had helped tone Jeremy’s muscle, giving him the strength to kick Richard Goranski’s ass.

            “What the hell Heere?!” Rich yelled, grabbing onto Jeremy’s arm roughly. Jeremy tightened his grip and ignored the pain of Rich’s hold on his forearm.

            “Listen here Dick! I heard about what you did to Michael the night of the party, you asshole! How dare you use him for your own sexual needs. He is far more than some personal punching bag and sex toy for you to mess around with. I have been best friends with that guy since I learned how to walk! He is the sweetest, most compassionate guy I know! He has always been that way. And for some weird reason, he likes you…has been in love with you for over two years, and all you can do is treat him like shit! You finally give him the attention he has been pining for, then tell him ‘it didn’t matter’ and that ‘you didn’t mean it’! You told him that ‘it was a mistake!’ Only a real douchebag does things like that!”

Rich had quit struggling and began to stare at Jeremy in shock. Jeremy kept going.

            “I shared things with you that night that I don’t just tell anybody else! I began to trust you! And what do you do? You toss it away and embarrass my BEST friend in front of the entire student body! Then you put a pin in it by pretending you liked him?! After what you told me about you…what possesses you to knock a guy like him down? What is wrong with you?!” Jeremy asked, shaking him roughly. “What has Michael ever done to you?! You are a real piece of shit! You know that?!” Jeremy yelled, fiercely glaring at him.

            “Jeremy stop it! Let him go!” he heard Michael yell behind him.

            Rich stared at him in surprise. Then, he proceeded to look over Jeremy’s shoulder with wide-eyes. Jeremy didn’t bother to turn around to look at Michael. A part of him knew he had just outed his friend to the group of boys surrounding them, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care at the moment. All he could see was the bully who had tormented his group for years.

            “Jeremy, let him go,” he heard a smooth voice behind him. Jeremy felt a hand come down on his shoulder gently. He snapped his head over to see Will looking at him cautiously, as if Jeremy was a wild animal. He didn't know he had this class. Jeremy heard a sniffle, then looked over to see Rich silently crying. Jeremy loosened his grip and gently put the boy down. Rich proceeded to slide down the lockers to the ground, crying into his hands.

            _Oh shit…what have I done?_ Jeremy thought to himself as everyone in the room stared between Rich and Jeremy warily.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! More angst! Took me a couple of days, but I wrote this chapter out along with a bonus background story! So, enjoy! :D
> 
> P.S. I know Jeremy is out of character here, but I gave him some newfound confidence that has been building up to this moment. He has it in him, it just needed someone like Will (or the Squip) to bring it out of him. Also, do NOT mess with his friends.


	16. Bonus: The Boy in the Red Hoodie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich's background relationship with Michael in his POV.

 

            Richard ‘Dick’ Goranski navigated the dangerous halls carefully. He had to pay more attention than most because of his short stature. Being short, mousy, a freshman, and the new kid put immediate targets on his back. Shoving his glasses back on his nose, he shuffled to his locker and quickly switched his books out. Looking every which way, he hurried to his next class. He had to be vigilant.

            Unfortunately, he wasn’t vigilant enough. He felt his body being pushed against the hard school floor, throwing his glasses off his face in the process. All he could see was a blur of colors as he was picked up off the floor and saw a face appeared in front of him. Richard squinted to make out the face of the senior footballer that had him picked up by the shoulder straps of his backpack.

            “What’s going on, Dick? You got my homework and money?” the guy sneered. Richard wanted to tell him that his breath smelled of rancid milk, but he refrained.

            “Yesh…,” he lisped. The people around them laughed.

            “Okay Daffy Duck, hand it all over!” he commanded, throwing him harshly onto the floor again.

            Richard pulled out his scant amount of lunch money and the jock’s homework (dummy couldn’t even pass a basic level English class), and handed it over. The guy chuckled and yanked the items out of his hands greedily. Looking over the papers, as if he knew anything about the information written on it, he gave a nod and halfway turned away from Richard.

            “Pleasure doing business with ya pal! See ya around, Dick!” he cackled while walking away, his posse following him in his wake.

            Richard looked down and sniffled. _Damn them all!_ He thought to himself viciously. He hated them, he wished they would all disappear! Most of all, he wanted himself to disappear. Richard hated his own weakness. Why couldn’t he be stronger? Why couldn’t he face up to those bullies? Why couldn’t he face up to his own father? Because he was too weak, that was why.

            Getting up on his knees, he felt around for his glasses. He literally couldn’t afford it if they got broken. After a few minutes of feeling around, he was just about to give up when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

            “Hey, are you looking for these?” a quiet voice asked. Richard turned around and came face to face with a bright blur of red. He squinted to see the face, but it was too blurry to identify.

            The voice chuckled, but Richard realized it wasn’t at him. He felt a hand guide his own to a metallic item that felt like his glasses. Relieved, Richard picked them up from the boy’s hand and put them back on his face. Finally, being able to see clearly again, Richard looked up to see his helper’s face.

            He blushed harshly at the bespectacled boy looking down at him with an outreached hand. The boy wasn’t hot in a classic way, but he was super cute. The black, thick glasses he wore went well with his tan skin and dark brown eyes. All of these things brought out the soft features of the boy’s face.

            _Cute. Super cute. I feel so gay right now._ Richard thought to himself as he took the boy’s hand. It was soft, like everything else looked on him. It took all of Richard’s willpower not to hold on too long to the guy’s hand as he stood up from his place on the floor.

            “Are you okay?” he asked softly. His eyes looked concerned. Richard gulped and nodded. No one had ever asked him that before, or looked at him like that for that matter. The guy smiled at him, causing Richard to have a full-blown heart attack right there and then.

            “Great! Those guys can be dicks sometimes…okay, all the time,” he said laughing. Richard found himself laughing with him and smiling. He hadn’t done either in so long.

            “My names Michael, what’s yours?” the boy, Michael, asked. Richard opened to answer, but thought better of it. If he talked, Michael would hear his lisp, then he would laugh and not want to be friends with a loser like him. Richard looked up and shook his head at Michael.

            “What’s wrong? Can’t talk?” Michael asked with worry. Richard nodded rapidly.

            “Oh. Okay. Are you mute? Or hoarse? If you don’t mind me asking,” Michael inquired politely. Rich mouthed out ‘hoarse’. He didn’t want Michael thinking he was completely incapable of speech. Michael nodded.

            “Been there, done that. I was sick for over a week and couldn’t talk. My friend, Jeremy, said it was the most peaceful week of his life!” Michael joked. Richard smiled in response.

            “Hey, speaking of Jeremy, why don’t you come sit with us at lunch?” Michael asked. Richard felt a thrill run through his body. Friends! He would have friends, finally! Richard nodded rapidly in response. Michael smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

            “Great! I have to head to class, but I’ll see ya then!” Michael said excitedly, waving good bye to him.

            “Oh wait!” Michael said. Richard felt dread, thinking had he had changed his mind. Instead, Michael pulled out a large bag of potato chips.

            “They took your lunch money, right? Sorry I don’t have anything more nutritious, but it should tide you over for a while,” he said, handing over the unopened bag of chips. Richard took the bag, feeling touched at the kindness. Michael waved before walking down the hall towards his class.

Richard waved back and headed to his own class with a skip in his step.

* * *

 

            Richard headed to the cafeteria in excitement for the first time. He was going to sit with people and not in the boy’s bathroom or the back of the library by himself! The most exciting thing though, was he was going to sit with Michael! A small bit of hope had creeped into his chest. Maybe he would have a shot with him! Rich didn’t know if he was gay or straight, but he was going to find out one way or another!

            Walking into the crowded cafeteria, he looked around for the red hoodie. Finally spotting a shock of red at the back of the room, Richard headed over to the table, only to stop dead in his tracks as he got closer.

            Michael had his arm around another boy with ridiculously curly hair. They both had their backs to him, laughing at a small Asian girl sitting in front of them. The group was too enthralled in their conversation to notice his presence. He flinched as he saw Michael brush his hand through the taller boy’s hair, tugging at it gently. The other waved the hand away laughing.

            “You make me so gay Jer!” he heard Michael say over the crowd. ‘Jer’, ‘Jeremy’, rolled his eyes, and gently shoved the tan boy away.

 Richard felt his heart break into a million pieces. There was no room for him in the group. There was no room for him in Michael’s heart. He had gotten ahead of himself. Hell, he had fallen for a guy at first sight without knowing anything about him. Richard felt so stupid.

            He ran out of the cafeteria quickly, retreating to the bathroom and locking himself in the stall. Tears fell down his face slowly. His stomach rumbled, sniffling, he reached into his bag to pull out the potato chips Michael had given him. Hunger left him immediately as he gazed at the bag in his hands. He didn’t have the heart to open them anymore. A part of him wanted to throw the bag away, but the larger part that won out chose to place them back into his backpack carefully for safe-keeping.

* * *

 

            The next year was the transformation of Richard ‘Dick’ Goranski into just ‘Rich’. He got better control of his lisp, he ditched the mousy brown hair, and traded his glasses in for contacts. The new job he obtained strengthened his body, and made him strong. He gained an even bigger confidence boost when Jake Dillinger invited him to hang out with his crew on the first day of sophomore year. Rich Goranski would thrive in high school, and he would leave all traces of ‘Dick’ behind him. The seniors that had tormented him before had left for college, so he was free to reinvent himself.

            A month of hanging out with Jake Dillinger had given him a newfound popularity. He had even lost his v-card! Things were looking up for Rich, until he accidently bumped into his past.

            He had been screwing around with Jake in the hallway when he had bumped into somebody behind him. He turned to apologize when he saw Michael, still in his hoodie, staring at him in surprise.

            “Sorry! I didn’t see you there,” Michael said politely, continuing his trek down the hall.

Rich felt paralyzed. Michael didn’t recognize him. Had he changed that much that the guy couldn’t even see the kid he helped in the hallway last year? Apparently, he could. Rich had been right. Michael had no more room in his heart, and apparently his memory too. He felt anger course through him. How dare he?! Rich hadn’t forgotten Michael for a single day, yet Michael hadn’t even bothered to remember what he looked like? Well, screw him! He was just a nerd anyway!

Rich watched him walk down the hall and stop beside a lanky figure. It was that ‘Jeremy’ kid he had talked about before. Rich saw them give a weird, dance-like handshake. Afterwards, they gave each other a sideways hug. Rich felt his blood boil.

Ignoring Jake’s question of where he was going, Rich stomped down the hall with closed fists. He heard an unfamiliar voice come out of his mouth.

“Hey nerd and tall ass!” he called from behind them. They both turned in surprise, breaking a part. Rich felt satisfied at the separation.

“You two gay or something? The way you two are hugging makes you look like your getting ready to go on the cover of Playgirl or something,” he snarked. Both boys blushed red in response.

“W-we a-aren’t g-gay. We’re j-just f-friends,” Jeremy stuttered. Rich scowled at the lanky boy. The fact that he was taller than him pissed Rich off to no end. Is that what Michael liked? Tall guys?

“Shut up tall ass! I was talking to four-eyes here,” Rich said, glaring at Michael. Good, the boy in the red hoodie was looking at him, which meant his attention was on him completely.

“Jeremy and I aren’t like that. He’s right, we are just friends,” Michael said, putting a hand on Jeremy’s arm, guiding him to turn around and leave. Oh no they don’t. The contact was enough to make Rich feel spiteful.

“Sure,” Rich snorted. “You’re ‘friends’. Fuck buddies? Partners? Whatever it is you gays call it,” Rich said sneering. What was he saying? He was bi himself. Michael had made him realize it a year ago. Why was he doing this to them? Jealousy? It must be, but Rich couldn’t find it in himself to stop. If it was getting Michael to look at him, then so be it.

Michael flinched at the words, but said nothing back. “C’mon Jer, let’s go,” he said quietly while pulling his friend gently towards the opposite direction. Rich felt his anger overwhelm him as Michael looked away from him.

He stepped forwards and ripped Michael away from Jeremy. Michael turned to stare at Rich in shock before Rich threw the boy on the ground, his glasses flinging off in the process. Rich and a few others around them began to laugh. Jeremy attempted to help his friend up when Rich shoved Jeremy away. He wasn’t allowed to touch Michael…right now.

Looking down at the Filipino boy triumphantly, he felt himself go cold at the sight. It was a sight he had grown familiar with. Wet eyes that were fighting not to cry, glasses that were lost in the crowd, and the misery in his eyes.

Rich Goranski saw himself as he stared down at a distraught Michael Mell.

_What have I become?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it was! I thought about having Rich talk about the past in the present, but then I thought writing a background bonus chapter would be simpler, so here it is! I hope you enjoyed the bonus chapter!


	17. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rich and Michael talk, while Will makes Jeremy want to rip his hair out of his head.

 

Jeremy backed up in horror.

            “I am so sorry…that was too harsh,” he said quickly, bending down in front of the sobbing boy. Jeremy placed a hand gently on his arm. Rich flinched, but did nothing else. Jeremy’s expression softened. He then looked around at the gaping audience.

            Michael’s face was red and shocked, Will’s face was cold and expressionless, everyone else’s ranged from different forms of surprise to varying degrees of confusion. Jeremy frowned at them.

            “Okay guys, the shows over. You can go now,” he said. Everyone shook their heads and made their way outside of the locker room, except for Will and Michael. Jeremy turned back around and patted Rich gently on the back.

            “Rich…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to freak out that bad,” Jeremy apologized. Rich sniffled and looked up with red eyes.

            “N-no, itsth my fault. I wasth being a dick…,” he lisped quietly. He hesitated for a minute before continuing, “I lied the other night,” he muttered.

            “About what?” Jeremy asked.

            “I don’t have a big asth thing for Jake asth I let on,” he admitted. “I usthed to have a thing for him becausthe he wasth stho nicthe to me, but it didn’t lasth that long. I’ve alwaysth…,” he whispered. “I alwaysth…sincthe ninth grade…lik-, no, loved Michael,” he then proceeded to cry harder. “H-he doesthn’t remember me…he doesthn’t l-like Dick Goransthki,” he cried over and over again. “And he hatesth Rich Goransthki!”

            Jeremy felt a hand touch his shoulder, he looked up to see Michael standing over them.

            “Hey Jeremy, let me take over from here,” he told him quietly. Jeremy nodded and stood up. He backed up slowly and stood beside Will, who gave Jeremy a soft look before turning his attention back to the other two boys.

            Michael placed his hands on either side of Rich’s tear-streaked face, leaning it up to face him. To Jeremy’s surprise, Michael boldly pulled the boy’s head to his lips, giving it a chaste kiss. Rich’s sobs stuttered to a stop as he gazed at Michael through wet eyelashes.

            “You’re right. I didn’t recognize you at first. It wasn’t until you pushed me down that first time that I knew it was you. The funny thing is…is that after every time you’ve done something terrible to me, Jeremy, or Christine…you always looked miserable after you did it. I think that’s what kept me loving you for as long as I have, I saw something in you that wasn’t mean. After everything you did, you felt sorry about it. When you pushed me down that first time, I recognized your eyes. Sure, you looked different, but your eyes didn’t. I’ve always wracked my brain on why you turned into a bully, I guess now I know huh?” Michael said, wiping the tears away.

            Rich gasped out a sob. “No, you don’t! You don’t know me!”

            Michael gave a laugh, causing the other to growl out, “What the fuck isth stho funny?!”

            Afterwards, Rich’s eyes widened, and he threw a hand over his mouth. He must have realized he had been speaking to him with a lisp. Michael snickered.

            “I know a lot more about you than you think. Like I knew you had that adorable lisp,” Michael said. Rich looked up in surprise.

            “What?! How?!” he squeaked. Jeremy’s eyes widened. Michael had never shared this information with him or Christine.

            “Tenth grade homecoming. You were wasted, and your buddies left you outside against your car. It was cold out, and I was passing by, so I dragged your sorry ass inside. You were lisping the whole time about how nice Jake Dillinger was. You said something about how he should win the Nobel Peace Prize,” Michael said laughing. Rich looked horrified.

            “Holy sthit!” he groaned, putting his head between his legs. His face looked like it was on fire. Michael smiled at Rich like he was the most adorable thing on the planet.

            “I don’t get why you hide it. I think it’s cute as fuck,” he said, kissing the top of Rich’s head again.

            “No, it isn’t,” Rich said petulantly, getting rid of the lisp in the process. He crossed his arms in the process, looking away from the boy in front of him.

            “Come on now, don’t go back to hiding it!” Michael said teasingly, gently touching Rich’s face.

            “I also know you’re allergic to peanuts, you secretly love manga, and have a fear of small dogs,” Michael listed off. “You wear muscle shirts because they make you feel tough, even though you get cold easily, you don’t like eating food that’s orange, though you can put away some Cheetos, you don’t like people looking at you because it makes you feel insecure, and you-,” Michael rambled on as Rich looked at him in amazement. He also was flushing in pleasure at the attention the brown-eyed boy was giving him, and had given him in the past without him knowing.

            Jeremy stifled a grin at the two boys and shifted his weight uncomfortably at their flirting. At least they seemed to be doing okay now. Jeremy grabbed Will’s arm and backed them both up slowly out the door. Luckily, Will followed him out.

            “Thank goodness that’s over,” Jeremy said in relief. “I almost messed up everything between them!” he said, raking his hands through his hair.  

            “Yes, it could have been disastrous, but it wasn’t,” Will said smoothly, walking away from Jeremy. Jeremy frowned and followed him.

            “Yeah, luckily,” he said as he walked alongside the taller boy. Will coldly looked at him from the side.

            “Why are you following me?” he asked icily. Jeremy shrugged, and surprised at the attitude change. Will hadn’t talked to him like that in weeks.

            “This is the same way as my locker, and last time I checked you weren’t as much of an ass as you were when I first met you,” Jeremy said. Despite not being mad at Rich anymore, Jeremy still felt a few traces of anger clouding his thoughts. He wasn’t used to showing so much emotion at once, and controlling it was new for him.

            Will grunted out a noncommittal response and continued to walk down the hall. Jeremy felt his frustration rising. The guy had been a complete jerk all day. It was as if he was sulking, which couldn’t be the case because there was nothing for him to sulk about!

            “Hey! What’s been up with you today? You’ve been acting distant and cold all day to me, so tell me what’s wrong,” Jeremy said, grabbing Will’s arm and stopping him dead in his tracks. The other boy arched an eyebrow at him, his dark blue eyes were cold. They reminded Jeremy of when he had first met Will.

            “What makes you think there is something wrong with me Jeremiah? I can’t imagine what I’ve done to give you such an impression,” he said lightly, though his eyes and expression spoke volumes. Jeremy crossed his arms and gave a huff.

            “Oh my God! You’re acting like…like a woman scorned!” Jeremy said while throwing up his hands in agitation. “Quit acting like a girl and just tell me what you’re mad at me about?!” he asked. God! This guy was irritating. Jeremy swore he could feel his eye begin to twitch, he was so annoyed.

            “Fine. You know why I’m acting ‘like a woman scorned’? It may be because you lied to everyone in the school about ‘hooking up’ with Brooke Lohst!” he said, his face red with anger.

            “What?! You were the one who told me lying could work to my advantage as long as I did it effectively! And guess what?! I did it just as you said, AND it worked in my favor. You even said yourself that it would boost my reputation!” Jeremy said. This guy was so confusing! What did he want Jeremy to do? Lie or tell the truth? Keep his rep as is, or boost it? There was no pleasing him!

            “I may have said it before, but I’ve changed my mind,” he said moodily.

            “You should hear yourself right now! You sound like a toddler!” Jeremy said, throwing his arms up yet again. Will snorted and turned around with his arms crossed. Great! Now he looked like a toddler!

            “What is so wrong with this set up? Is it the fact that I lied?” Will gave no response.

            “Is it who I lied to?” Still no response. Jeremy was running out of reasons.

            “Does it have anything to do with Brooke?” he asked, reaching for any excuse. Jeremy noticed the other flinch at the name.

_Gotcha!_ Jeremy thought smugly.

“What’s wrong with Brooke? She’s a nice girl, not to mention beautiful. If I was to be with anyone, I think she is the best candidate. You even said before that she wasn’t in the same category as Madeline or Chloe,” he said.

Will turned around and glared at him. A thought hit Jeremy just then. He knew that look. It was the same look Rich had given him when he mentioned Michael to him. It was the same look Chloe had whenever she saw him talking to Brooke. It was a look Jeremy would give Christine sometimes when she got a bigger part than him in a school play. William Squip was jealous of Brooke Lohst!

“You’ve got to be kidding me…,” he said in surprise. Will glared, but with a hint of confusion.

“What are you talking about?” he asked in annoyance.

“You’re jealous,” Jeremy responded. He had never seen Will get as red as he did right then.

“Like hell I am jealous of that blonde skank!” he said, backing up slightly. Jeremy gave him an unimpressed look.

“One, Brooke is far from a ‘skank’. Two, yes you are. The only thing I want to know is why?” Jeremy asked. Will broke eye contact and glared at the wall fiercely.

“That wall didn’t do anything to you. Now talk!” Jeremy commanded. No way was he getting away with not answering. But, Will proved to be just as stubborn as he was by not responding.

“Fine, let me make some more guesses then. Is it because she is getting more attention than you?” Will snorted. Answer, no.

“Okay, did she steal the attention of someone you like?” Jeremy really didn’t want to know. It was hurtful enough knowing that Will wouldn’t ever be interested in him, now he was about to find out if another girl or guy was the object of Will’s affections. Despite Jeremy’s fears, Will rolled his eyes, but turned a new shade of pink. Answer, yes, but I don’t want to admit it. Jeremy felt like he was plucking his hair out one strand at a time with this line of questioning.

“Alright, who is it? Chloe?” Will gave a scowl. Answer, no. Jeremy supposed it was a good thing for Brooke that Will wasn’t interested in Chloe.

“Is it Brooke herself?” Another scowl, no. “Jake?” he was going with guys now. When Will shot him a look of irritation, he stopped. Okay, no guys or no Jake? Which was it? Jeremy decided to go back to girls to be safe. He really didn’t want Will to punch him.

“Madeline?” Will huffed, another no. This questioning was getting pointless, but Will hadn’t walked off yet. Jeremy guessed he wanted to talk about it, but he wasn’t going to make it easy.

“Jenna? Rich? Michael? Christine? Tod? Dustin?” he guessed all at once, each one was met with a derisive snort. Jeremy rubbed a hand down his face in exasperation.

“The only person I haven’t guessed, that you talk to, is me! Otherwise, I give up!” Jeremy exclaimed, throwing his hands up. He noticed Will cast a worried look at him, his face turning a brilliant shade of red.

“Me? Really? Why?” Jeremy asked in total confusion. It was impossible that Will had a thing for him. Maybe he felt lonely. Jeremy was after all the only one who knew about Will’s duplicity that hung out with him on a regular basis. Michael and Christine didn’t spend time with him alone as much as Jeremy had been. Will didn’t respond, and instead looked at the wall with a shy look on his face. Maybe he was lonely, but was too embarrassed to admit it. Jeremy felt guilty.

“Look. I’m sorry I’ve been wrapped up in this whole rumor thing with Brooke. I haven’t had time to do more lessons with you like before. But I promise when this all blows over, I’ll come by when you aren’t busy and hang out again,” Jeremy promised, willing the other boy to look at him. Will frowned and turned his head to stare at him.

“You don’t get it. That is not why I’m mad. I-,” Will didn’t finish his sentence as they both heard a sickingly sweet cat call from down the hall.

“Hey Will! I’ve been looking for you!” Madeline Lancaster said as she sashayed towards them. “Oh, hi Jeremy. I didn’t see you there,” she said dismissively. Like hell she hadn’t seen him. Jeremy had been standing right there beside Will. Jeremy gave her an annoyed look, which she ignored.

“What’s going on Madeline?” Will asked politely. He had to keep up his pretenses to hold up his rep after all. Jeremy was sad to see the real Will go, and was disappointed that he didn’t get to hear the rest of his sentence.

“Well, I’ve been trying to get you alone all day, but since that isn’t possible, obviously,” she said, looking over at Jeremy snidely.

“I wanted to explain why I couldn’t stay with you the night of the party,” she said silkily, caressing Will’s arm. He looked at her in surprise. Jeremy felt a chill go up his spine.

“What are you talking about?” Will asked coldly. Madeline’s vixen grin faltered for a minute before she continued.

“You know, the night of your party. We both went to the pool house alone. I mean, we were both kind of drunk, so you probably don’t remember much, but I can assure you it was really fun,” she said, smirking. Jeremy noticed her sapphire eyes dart over to him for a split second. They were filled with a smugness that made Jeremy want to claw her eyes out.

“You were with me that night? In the pool house?” Will asked with confusion. She gave a nod.

“Yeah, you really don’t remember anything huh?” she asked sympathetically, though Jeremy could see the deception in her eyes.

“Let’s go talk about it. I’ll fill you in,” she said with a small smile. Will nodded and followed her.

“I’ll see you later Jeremy,” he said distractedly. Jeremy felt like he had been punched in the gut as he watched them leave.

_That bitch must have seen us leave the party together, or me leave the pool house, and figured out what happened! What do I do now?_ Jeremy thought in a panic.

He couldn’t tell Will the truth! He would hate him! If he withheld it, Madeline would have her way and do who knows what to their group of friends! What was he going to do?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Introducing Madeline Lancaster...a rich, pretty high school girl with the personality of a man-eating tiger. She might could win in a fight against Regina George! Who knows for sure?! I made up her last name, appearance, and over all personality. Her first name comes from BMC (the girl who played 'pool' with Jake), but other than that we know nothing else about her other than the fact that she slept with Jake Dillinger and that she lost at pool on purpose to do so. Also, Chloe hates her (in the musical), so I'll make her hate her in my story too, along with everyone else since she will be my antagonist for now. Hope you all enjoy!


	18. Conversations and Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy admits some things to Chris and Michael, and talks to Madeline too.

            “So…what are we doing here?” Michael asked.

            “Yeah Jer. What’s the big emergency?” Christine piped in.

            “Hold on and I’ll tell you guys,” Jeremy said as he peeked outside the drama club’s changing room. When he saw no one was there, he shut the door behind them and turned to stare at his friends uncomfortably.

            “Fess up Jeremy. What’s up?” Michael impatiently asked again. Christine gave him an annoyed look. The only reason he wanted to leave so fast was only because he wanted to get back to his new boyfriend. They had come out as a couple during lunch, surprising everyone in the cafeteria as a result. There had been some negativity, but they were too scared of Rich to say anything. Ultimately, everyone was happy, if not a little surprised, for them. Christine was glad to see Michael’s crush come to fruition, but had been worried about Jeremy, who had been too concerned with glaring at Madeline to share in his friend’s happiness. She had been pressing her breasts up against Will’s arm as she whispered in his ear who knows what. It obviously had Jeremy seething.

            Jeremy took a deep breath and appeared to be settling his thoughts. He looked at his two closest friends and began to speak.

            “Last week…the night of the party…I accidentally slept with Will,” he said quickly, looking down. He did NOT want to see their reactions.

            “Really?” he heard Michael ask.

            “Yes,” he muttered in response.

            “You ‘accidently’ slept with him?”

            “Yes.”

            “Accidently?”

            “Yes.”

            “I don’t understand, did you trip over something?”

            “Michael!” Jeremy yelled, looking up to glare at the Filipino boy.

            “Hey man! You hear stories all the time about people randomly going into the ER to get things taken out of their asses because they ‘accidently’ tripped and fell on something,” Michael teased, throwing his hands up in front of himself just in case Jeremy decided to attack.

            “W-w-what...I…We…urk…grrr,” Jeremy stuttered out as Michael looked at him with a smirk. Jeremy looked ready to smack it off his face. Christine took the moment to stand in between them as a mediator.

“That’s enough you two! Michael stop teasing Jeremy. You knew he what he meant,” she said calmly.

“Are you okay Jeremy? I know this can’t be easy for you,” Christine asked kindly. Looking into her eyes, Jeremy knew that she knew his feelings towards Will. He might be able to hide it from everyone else, but Christine always was the best at reading him, even better than Michael.

“I’m fine. Just…I don’t know how to feel. Sad? Disappointed? Relieved?” he admitted. Michael scratched the back of his head guiltily.

“Sorry for making a joke out of it Jer. I didn’t know you had a thing for the guy. I figured you just idolized him, you know…like a mentor or something,” Michael said.

Jeremy sighed and sat down on one of the wooden rickety chairs that littered the small space. “It’s okay Mikey. I’m honestly more on edge today than usual. If you didn’t already know based on me almost beating the shit out of Rich,” Jeremy said, feeling ashamed.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you so mad before dude. You scared the hell out of me,” Michael nodded as he spoke.

“You weren’t yourself at lunch either. What else is going on that you haven’t told us?” Christine asked gently. She put a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

Heaving another sigh, he told them about his current Madeline situation. After he was done, he looked between them both with hopelessness.

“That bitch! And I thought she couldn’t go any lower,” Michael voiced angrily.

“Yeah, she isn’t very nice is she,” Christine said shaking her head softly.

“That’s an understatement Chris. That girl is evil with a capital ‘E’,” Michael said belligerently. “You can’t let her get away with lying to Will, Jeremy. You have to tell him the truth!”

“N-NO!” Jeremy squeaked. They both gave him a strange look. He remembered Will telling him to control his stutters and fidgets. He cleared his throat.

“I mean, no,” he said deeply. Michael rolled his eyes and Christine giggled.

“I guess it should have been obvious you liked him, you remember and do everything he says!” Michael said accusingly. “I think I’ve pointed this out before!” he exclaimed.

“Oh, shut up Mike,” Jeremy used his normal voice in response. “I can’t tell him the truth. He would hate me. It would be disgusting to him. As much as I hate to think about Madeline sinking her claws into him, it would be better if he thought he had sex with a hot girl instead of, well, me,” he said dejectedly.

“Jeremy, stop being so down on yourself! I didn’t want to say this because I didn’t want you to dwell on it too much, but I’m going to point it out anyway. I don’t think Will is ‘disgusted’ by you as much as you like to think. In fact, it’s almost obvious how much he’s fixated on you. He gets moody if you sit beside one of us instead of him at lunch, he glares if one of us so much as touch your shoulder, he gets upset when he finds out you hung out with us after school! There is a bunch of other things too I could list out!” she said, counting on each of her fingers as she listed out her points.

Jeremy shook his head at her. “He wants me to be on my A-game for his dad. I don’t any of that has to do with his non-existent feelings for me.”

Christine smack her forehead with irritation while Michael gave a huff of annoyance.

“Okay, well how do you explain what he said to me the other day when you weren’t around!” Michael exclaimed. The other two looked at him in confusion.

“The robot said, I repeat, ‘Jeremy needs to focus more on his reputation. I think it would be best if you kept your distance from him instead of hanging onto his person in an overly-friendly manner’, end repeat. He was looking at me threateningly too as he said it!” Michael exclaimed with a shiver. “The dude has it bad. I don’t think he even realizes it!”

“Guys. I understand your trying to make me feel better, but all those things are just him focusing on the end goal. The guy makes charts and schedules like there’s no tomorrow, and each of them have goals that he needs to achieve by specific designated times. Trust me, I’ve seen them. It’s obsessive to be honest,” Jeremy said with his arms crossed.

“Live in denial then! I don’t care anymore!” Michael groaned. “So, what are you going to do about this Madeline ‘Skank’ Lancaster situation then?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s best to let him think it was her till the end. He doesn’t like her at all, so I think he’ll get rid of her soon anyway. I don’t even know why he’s so interested right now. Will has probably slept with a lot of girls like her. What makes her so special, I have no idea,” Jeremy said with confusion.

“I think you have to tell him eventually Jer. It’s not right that you slept with him and he doesn’t have a clue. It’s not fair to him. You’re lying to the guy you have feelings for, and I know you aren’t happy about that fact,” Christine said, patting him on the back. Jeremy looked down, as usual, she was right.

“I will, just not right now while it’s still fresh,” he said. “I’ll let the Madeline thing blow over before then.”

“Sooner is better than later Jeremy,” Christine responded disapprovingly.

“I know, I know!”

“Do you though? Do you?!” Michael interjected teasingly. He ran over and tackled Jeremy, causing them to fall off the chair into the floor. Michael laughed and began to tickle Jeremy’s sides. Christine giggled and moved out of their way. She would have more than likely joined them if she wasn’t wearing a knee-length skirt that day.

Jeremy’s scowl turned into full-scale laughter as he attempted to push away his friend.

“S-stop! I-I c-an’t…haha…catch…ha…my b-breath!” Jeremy gasped. Michael gave another laugh as he straddled Jeremy, pinning him to the floor as he wiggled his fingers into Jeremy’s rib cage.

All three teens were too preoccupied to notice the door opening behind them. Christine felt the air mysteriously turn charged. She slowly turned around and the smile on her face quickly turned into a worried frown. Michael and Jeremy continued to play fight on the ground obliviously, rolling around on top of one another in the process.

Will stood in the doorway with a cold glare on his face as he stared at the two wrestling on the ground. Behind him stood Rich and Madeline. Madeline had a smirk on her face while Rich’s held surprise, then laughter.

“Gosh…haven’t been dating a day and he is cheating on me already with his best friend!” Rich dramatically exclaimed. Michael and Jeremy turned to look at their audience. Michael’s face turned pale as he leaped off Jeremy and stood up.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll go on after this treachery!” Rich continued to say, tossing a hand over his eyes. Michael rolled his own eyes and walked over to Rich, tossing his arms around the shorter male.

“My darling, it is not what it seems! He means nothing to me! It has always been you!” Michael said in an even more dramatic tone. Rich giggled and engulfed Michael in his arms.

Madeline scowled at the two boys while Will looked at them in confusion. Jeremy stood up and chuckled. He began to massage his aching rib cage by rubbing it up and down. The air in the room turned back to normal and Christine gave a relieved sigh underneath her breath. Thank goodness, their group did NOT need another misunderstanding. She looked over to see Will’s gaze travel from the two boys cuddling in the center of the room to the boy still rubbing at his rib cage. Christine looked on in amusement as she noticed Will’s transfixed gaze following Jeremy’s hand movements. The look would have been lustful if the longing didn’t override it. How Jeremy didn’t notice, Christine had no idea.

            Apparently, Christine wasn’t the only one to notice the intense gaze. Madeline was glaring between Jeremy and Will with disdain.

            _Great, another thing to worry about,_ Christine thought tiredly.

* * *

 

           Later that day, Jeremy smiled at his friends’ antics as he walked behind them with Will as they made their way out of the school building. Michael and Rich were currently talking animatedly to one another as they held hands, swaying them slightly as they walked. Michael had told Jeremy they were going on a date after school today. Jeremy was no less than thrilled.

            “So, they’re a ‘thing’ now?” Will asked beside him curiously.

            “Yeah. After the locker room incident,” Jeremy responded. “They’re going on a date today.”

            Will grunted in response, but said nothing else. Jeremy gave an internal sigh. A large part of him wanted to tell Will the truth, but then he thought of the look of distrust and disgust on Will’s face, and changed his mind. Madeline may be a bitch, but it’s not like Will didn’t have his moments too. She would be a better match in the end. Jeremy did something he hadn’t done in a while, he made an internal list:

  1. She was a girl.
  2. Madeline was rich.
  3. She was beautiful.
  4. The girl had confidence.
  5. She had popularity.
  6. She was a better liar.
  7. She knew what she wanted, and took it. Will liked people with initiative.



Jeremy could go on and on. As he went down the list, the more morose he felt. There were more reasons to NOT tell him than TO tell him. It would be better if Will introduced her to his dad than Jeremy or his friends. His dad would respect her more, she could give him heirs to their business empire, she knew what to say in every situation… Jeremy ran through the growing list in his head as they made it to the parking lot.

“Jeremy? Did you hear me?” he heard a voice ask. Jeremy looked up to see Jake staring at him worriedly.

“Yeah! I’m fine. Sorry, I was thinking about…homework stuff!” Jeremy exclaimed loudly. Will gave a discrete eye roll at his lack of tact (Another thing Madeline had that Jeremy didn’t. He was always disappointing Will.). Jake frowned, but didn’t call Jeremy out on the obvious lie.

“I said that I’m throwing a party in a couple of weeks. Are you game?” he asked. Jeremy nodded without thinking twice.

“Yeah! I’m in!” he squeaked. Will winced. Jeremy gave an internal sigh. He was always messing up in front of Will. Another reason why Christine and Michael’s claims that Will liked him were ridiculous. Hell, the guy had to be drunk to even want to touch Jeremy.

Jake laughed and nodded, throwing an arm around Jeremy’s shoulder.

“Great! It wouldn’t be the same without _all_ my buds there!” he said happily. Jeremy gave him a smile. He felt a tight grip on his arm, and was yanked back.

“Yeah, we’ll _all_ be there!” Will cheerily said, hooking an arm around Jeremy’s waist and pulling him close. Jeremy felt his face try to heat up, and fought to keep it down.

“Awesome! I’ll see you both there then!” Jake said obliviously as he turned and strutted to his car happily.

Jeremy felt warmth spreading through his body, originating from Will’s hand on his hip. They hadn’t been this close since that night. Jeremy couldn’t contain his blush at the memory.

“U-um…Will…what are you-,” he began, when he heard a throat clear behind them. They both turned and saw Madeline glaring at them with her hands on her hips. She changed her expression to a fake smile.

“Hey Jeremy! I’ve been looking all over for you!” she said happily. Jeremy gave an internal sigh.

“Really? What’s up?” he said, playing along with her façade.

“I just wanted to speak to you in private really quick! Sorry to break you away from _my_ boyfriend!”

“Okay?” he said, breaking out of Will’s grasp and following her to her car. He pushed down the state of shock and grief he felt. It wasn’t a surprise, and Will wasn’t denying it.

 _Get over it,_ he gritted out internally. He didn’t see the perturbed look on Will’s face as he left.

When they got to her car, Madeline turned around and revealed an agitated expression.

“What the hell was that back there?” she angrily asked with her hands on her hips again.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, not hiding his irritation this time. Now that they were alone, he wasn’t about to let her walk all over him. Their fake friendliness had now been thrown out the window.

“Will is my boyfriend now Heere. It makes me look stupid if you let him hang all over you like that in front of everyone at school!” she answered. She flicked her wavy blonde hair back and gave him a piercing stare with her dark blue eyes. The Jeremy before meeting Will would have been intimidated, but the Jeremy now wasn’t scared to show her how much he wanted to ring her neck.

“‘Hanging all over me’ is an over exaggeration. We’re just friends, Madeline. You can calm down,” Jeremy said coldly. She gave him an eye roll.

“Oh please, it’s so obvious you have a thing for him. It’s kind of pathetic to be honest,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Will even mentioned how much it concerned him.”

Jeremy felt as if his stomach had turned to lead. Will knew? How come he hadn’t confronted Jeremy about it?!

“I don’t know why, but he wants to let you down easy. I think he considers you as a friend, and doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. He really is too nice for his own good. He’s always been that way! I’ve known him since we were little after all!” she said with a smirk.

Jeremy felt sick, but glared at her with an anger he didn’t quite feel. “I think you’ve made your point Madeline. And I don’t like him like that. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll tell you that I don’t have any intention to get in the way of you guys’ relationship. A relationship I had no idea about until you told me by the way. Will didn’t tell me anything about it,” he replied, a hint of derision in his voice. Madeline’s eye twitched in response.

“Of course, he didn’t! It’s still new! What idiots show off right at the beginning?” she asked snidely. After she said that, they turned at the sound of a loud ‘whoop!’ to see Rich and Michael holding hands, skipping across the parking lot, giving goofy, love-struck looks at one another.

“I think that clarifies my point,” she said with an eye roll. Jeremy rolled his eyes back at her. “Just because you took advantage and slept with him while he was drunk doesn’t mean that you have a leg up!” she exclaimed loudly.

“Shut up,” he said quietly, looking around quickly in case someone had overheard.

“Yeah, don’t want it to get around that you’re gay AND took advantage of one of the school’s most popular, _straight_ guys! I’ve seen boys around here beat the hell out of gay guys for far less reasons. You don’t have to look farther than your friend Michael, before he started dating Goranski that is. Isn’t it practically rape what you did?” she asked softly with an icy hardness in her gaze.

Jeremy felt like he was about to throw up. He hadn’t thought about it being considered rape, but it was, wasn’t it? Jeremy had been in his right state of mind, but Will hadn’t! Will had been drunk, while Jeremy had been sober! It hadn’t been consensual! Jeremy had raped the guy he liked, maybe even loved! Oh God…what had he done?!

Madeline smirked at his obvious signs of distress. Jeremy swallowed hard and glared back at the girl.

“One, I wasn’t going to tell him about that night anyway, it was a mistake. Also, two, I’m bi, not gay. Get it right, Thirdly, it’s not like you’re any better. You’re lying to him too. Fourthly, I’m done with this conversation. I’ll leave you alone if you leave me alone. So, back off,” he said fiercely, turning on his heels and leaving a seething Madeline in his wake.

Before he could leave completely, he heard Madeline say, “It’s not like you stood a chance with him anyway.” He turned around to glare at her.

“I already told you…I do NOT like Will!” he said loudly. It would be over his dead body that he let her know his true feelings. Telling his friends was one thing, admitting them to this bitch was another!

Jeremy saw her give him a smirk as she looked at something over his shoulder. Frowning, he turned around quickly to see Will looking at him with a shocked expression.

The shock isn’t what made Jeremy cringe, but the obvious pain in his blue eyes.

_Fuck!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. I'm done with the story. 
> 
> JK! Don't take me seriously! I hope everyone is having a Happy New Years! I have been busy trying to figure how I wanted this chapter to go, and I'm happy with the way it turned out. 
> 
> The dialouge between Michael and Jeremy ('accidently' sleeping with Will) came from a reader, OERIGEROI! Thanks for the idea! I warned you I would find a way to add it in! lol! 
> 
> Hope this chapter was enjoyable! I live for kudos and comments and support! Thanks! :D


	19. Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy and Will spend some time a part.

            Jeremy looked at Will in shock. He could practically see Madeline’s triumphant smile behind him, the she-devil. Jeremy cleared his throat before speaking. It felt dry all of a sudden.

            “W-will, how m-much d-did y-you h-ear?” he stuttered out. Will blinked, the pain not disappearing. His gaze turned into an icy glare at Jeremy. _Shit._

“I heard enough Jeremiah. Not that you liking me has anything to do with our deal. I’ve never hid my distaste for your true self anyway. Nothing has changed,” Will said coldly. Jeremy didn’t know if he felt relieved or sick. Will had only heard the end sentence, nothing else. If he had heard the whole conversation Will would have been livid, more than now anyway.

            “Will…I didn’t mean it like that…I just got mad and said something that wasn’t true,” Jeremy said quickly. He didn’t want Will thinking their entire friendship was a sham. Despite Jeremy’s true feelings, he still wanted Will’s friendship! If he couldn’t have anything more, then he would rather settle for what he had now.

            “It’s fine Heere, you don’t have to explain yourself. Like I said, nothing has changed,” Will said nonchalantly, though his eyes told a different story. Jeremy had hurt him with his words, and he wasn’t going to admit it aloud.

            “Don’t lie to me Will. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” Jeremy said as the other boy turned and began to walk away.

            “I already told you nothing has changed. I do, however, appreciate your honesty,” he said icily as he walked away. Jeremy’s shoulders sank.

            “Whoopsy. Looks like you’re in a predicament now Jeremy. Well, I’ll leave you to figure it out!” Madeline said smugly as she ducked into her car and sped away.

* * *

 

            Jeremy rolled around on his bed in quiet contemplation, groaning in irritation every so often as he remembered his screw up.

            “Why did I have to get so mad?! The bitch baited me! How could I not see what she was doing?!” he groaned. “I mean, what was he even doing there? Wasn’t he trying to give us privacy earlier? What happened to that?! Great! Now I’m blaming him for overhearing something that I stupidly said!” Jeremy said as he threw his pillow over his face.

            He had to fix this, but he didn’t know how. He could talk to Michael or Christine, but they were both preoccupied this afternoon. Plus, he really didn’t feel like hearing ‘I told ya so’ from Christine. Jeremy gave another groan and threw his pillow across the room in frustration. He didn’t expect to hit his father in the face as he opened the door unexpectedly.

            “Ah!” he heard him cry in surprise. Jeremy bolted up.

            “Sorry dad!” he apologized. “I didn’t hear you coming up!”

            “It’s fine son. I should have knocked first,” George Heere said, picking up the pillow and putting back on Jeremy’s bed. Jeremy hadn’t talked to him in about a week. He was either laying on couch in a drunken stupor or out buying more beer.

            George awkwardly sat down beside Jeremy on his bed. Jeremy looked down to see he wasn’t wearing pants again. He gave an internal sigh.

            “So, how have you been doing lately? Is school going good?” he asked, avoiding eye contact. Apparently, it was now their weekly awkward father-son bonding time. Wonderful.

            “I’m fine. Had a history test over the American Revolution. I think I bombed it though,” he said, grasping for something to say to his recently estranged father. They used to tell each other everything. He had always been closer to his dad than his mom. It hurt to think about what their relationship had become.

            “Oh. I’m sure you did fine son. You’re usually smart in all your subjects in school. You made all A’s and B’s on your last report card after all,” he said. Jeremy looked at him in surprise. He didn’t think his dad even read the mail that came through the mail slot.

            “Yeah…well…I can’t get too cocky now, can I?” he asked hypothetically, scratching the back of his head. Looking over, he saw his dad doing the same thing and lowered his own hand. He hadn’t realized his fidgets were inherited.

            “I guess not…,” his dad replied standing up. “Well, if you need anything…or want to talk about anything…I’m here. I know it may not seem like it now, but I’m going back to work the beginning of next week. Things are going to get back to as normal as they can be soon,” he said, turning to Jeremy with a sad, guilty look in his eye. Jeremy nodded.

            “As long as you start wearing pants again, I’ll be good,” Jeremy teased. His dad gave a sheepish smile and nodded.

            “That will be a given Jer. You want to order pizza?” he asked. Jeremy slightly smiled. It was an olive branch on his dad’s part. They used to bond over pizza all the time…before the divorce.

            “Sure. I’d like that,” he replied. His dad smiled and headed out of the room, supposedly to call the pizza place.

            Jeremy didn’t know what to do about the whole Will situation, but right now, he just wanted to eat pizza and reconnect with his dad again. He didn’t want to think about the other right now. Maybe not thinking about it would help him come up with a solution. Standing up, he followed his dad out the door.

* * *

 

            Two weeks passed by in a flash, and Jeremy was no closer to finding out how to make up with Will, who had been avoiding him like the plague ever since that day in the parking lot.

            Will had taken to sitting with Madeline and her friends at lunch and in the hallways before and after school, not looking Jeremy’s way once. Jeremy had tried texting, emailing, even writing letters to him, but all had gone ignored. The direct approach didn’t work either, in fact, it was more embarrassing since Will refused to acknowledge his existence when he tried to talk to him. Madeline and her friends would giggle behind him every time this occurred, eventually Jeremy just gave up. If Will was going to be that big of a baby, then so be it. It still hurt though either way.

            Jeremy was currently riding with Michael and Christine to Jake Dillinger’s party. Both had asked Jeremy what the issue was between him and Will, but he had foregone from telling them, and instead just shrugged the question off. They too had given up on finding out what had happened and chose to watch Jeremy warily as he walked through the halls depressed.

            “So, Rich said he like the red pants over the black ones, thus the red pants and black Mario shirt,” Michael explained to Christine.

            “I see, so he likes to see you in red?” she asked. Michael nodded.

            “Yep. He says it’s my signature color, and I have to say that I agree with him! I do look good in red. It goes well with my skin tone,” he said smugly, rubbing his tan cheek softly. Christine giggled, while Jeremy stewed in the back seat of the PT Cruiser. At least one of them didn’t have to suffer from unrequited love anymore.

            “Jeremy…what’s wrong? You look miserable,” Christine asked, turning to stare at her other best friend. Jeremy shrugged.

            “I’m fine, just a little tired after taking that math test today. I studied for a long time last night,” he said. Christine frowned, but said nothing as she turned back around in her seat.

            “Oh please. You can calculate those math problems in your sleep. You’re just upset about whatever it is happened between you and Will, which you still haven’t told us about by the way,” Michael complained from the driver’s seat. Jeremy frowned, but didn’t reply.

            “Seriously Jer, please tell us what happened,” Christine pleaded for the millionth time.

            “Don’t worry about it Chris. It isn’t that big of a deal,” Jeremy said softly. Christine huffed while Michael snorted.

            “Not that ‘big of a deal’ my cute ass. You two have been sulking for two weeks now. The longing looks of love across the halls is making my anxiety act up more than usual,” Michael snarked. Jeremy had no idea what he was talking about and chose to ignore him the rest of the car ride.

            When they made it to the party, the gang got out of the car and headed toward Jake’s massive house. It wasn’t as big as Will’s, but it was close. Michael opened the door and walked on through. They had hung out at Jake’s many times over the past couple of months. The three were comfortable enough by now going into the home without an invitation.

            The party was kicking off to a great start as many of the teens around them were either pleasantly buzzed or close to it. As they walked deeper into the house, Jeremy heard a voice call out to them.

            “Sweetheart!” Rich yelled across the living room. Michael turned and beamed at the shorter boy.

            “Love monkey!” he said, running and hugging the other. Jeremy snickered under his breath.

            They were both in a competition to see who could come up with the worst pet name. Michael was currently winning, much to Rich’s chagrin.

            “Okay, you got me with that one!” Rich laughed as he and Michael embraced. Michael grinned.

            “Good, it took me a while to come up with it!”

            “Jer Bear! Chrissy!” Brooke shouted over the music. She ran over to them with Chloe following close behind.

            “Brookie Cookie! Chlo!” Christine responded enthusiastically, running into the other girl’s embrace in a friendly hug. Brooke smiled at them both as she broke away from the hug. Chloe stood beside her in amusement.

            Chloe had warmed up to the three newcomers not long after they joined the group. She especially took to Jeremy when she found out that Madeline hated him for some unknown reason. If Madeline hated him, then he mustn’t be that bad after all.

            “Hey guys! Did you just get here?” she asked, brushing her dark hair behind her head and out of her face.

            “Yeah, we just walked in! Now give me the 411 on Jenna’s new man!” Christine asked excitedly as Chloe regaled her with the latest gossip on Jenna’s new college boyfriend. Jenna had a family thing to be at this weekend, and couldn’t be there, much to her annoyance. She had Christine promise that she would text her every detail about the party since she couldn’t be there herself.

            “I’m going to get a drink, you guys want anything?” Jeremy asked the girls.

            “I’ll take a beer,” Chloe said, while Brooke gave a resounding ‘Me too!’. Christine shook her head politely, preferring a Coke instead.

            Jeremy walked off to get the drinks. He maneuvered around the party goers with ease, having gotten used to these kinds of parties by now. Multiple different people who hadn’t given him the time of day before waved and greeted him as he passed. He returned the greetings and headed into the kitchen. Getting he and the girls’ drinks, he made his way back to the group when he saw a sickening sight.

            Madeline was grinding against Will as he stroked her back up and down as they danced among others in the den area of Jake’s house. Will looked down at her with a frown as she spoke whispered in his ear. Jeremy felt nauseous as he saw her take Will’s hand and lead him up the stairs. A rushing sound resounded in Jeremy’s ears as they disappeared up the stairs.

            There it was. Physical evidence that Jeremy didn’t stand a chance in hell. Will wasn’t even talking to him anymore, instead choosing to hang out with Madeline. Now, he was choosing her for other reasons as well. It’s not like it was weird or anything, they were dating after all. Jeremy had to move on and count his losses for what they were.

            Jeremy’s grip tightened on the drinks as he dejectedly made his way back to the other girls. A fake smile plastered on his face, he handed them their drinks and popped open his own. He guzzled it down in a rush. Jeremy wanted to get drunk. Really drunk.

            Christine sipped on her Coke, watching Jeremy with a concerned eye. Jeremy ignored her, and left them to grab some more beers. Jeremy sat himself down on one of the bar stools in the kitchen and began to throw back beer after beer until he felt warm and fuzzy all over. He would make sure to forget everything he saw tonight. Make no mistake about that. He would forget all about Madeline whatshername and that one guy who he didn’t want to think the name of. That stupid, handsome, secretly kind guy who Jeremy didn’t want to think about at all. They were both stupid anyway. They deserved each other.

            Jeremy’s stomach felt sloshy as he stood up and swayed. He giggled at his instability and stumbled into the living room. He saw Michael and Rich sitting on the couch in conversation. Smiling, he made his way over to them.

            “Hey guys! How’s it hangin’?!” he said, plopping down on the couch roughly. Both boys looked at him in confusion.

            “Man dude, you’re fucked up!” Rich said in surprise. “I didn’t know you had it in you!”

            “Yeah Jer. You aren’t usually like this. What’s been up with you lately?” Michael asked, clearly concerned about his friend’s well-being.

            “Hehe. Well, let me tell ya! That guy who I don’t want to say the name of won’t talk or look at me! He dumped me! Like a sack of garbage!” Jeremy said, laughing. Michael looked at Rich in confusion. Rich shrugged in response.

            “What are you talking about? You mean Will?” Michael asked.

            “Yeah! I won’t say that guy’s name though! I’m so wasted!” Jeremy said loudly, causing the people around him to whoop in excitement. Jeremy snickered and swayed to the music while Michael frowned.

            “Why won’t you say his name?” he asked hesitantly.

            “Because! He won’t listen to me! I didn’t mean to say what I did! That bitch Madeline made me say it! She knew he…*hiccup*…was listening! Why was he there anyway Mikey? Don’t people respect privacy anymore?! Tell me!” Jeremy said, laying his head on Michael’s shoulder.

            “What did you say?” Michael asked. Jeremy grumbled in response.

            “I said, ‘I don’t like Will!’ to that bitch! He heard me say it too! Now he…he…*sniff*…won’t talk…to…ah…me!” Jeremy began to heavily cry against Michael’s shoulder. Rich and Michael looked at each other in surprise, neither one knowing what to say.

            “What do I do to fix it Mikey?! He won’t listen or talk to me anymore! That bitch has him upstairs now! I know it’s wrong, but why can’t it be me?! I slept with him first! He liked it! I know he did! Why can’t he remember the greatest night of our lives?! Tell me Mikey! I want to know!” Jeremy cried, heavy tears soaking Michael’s shirt. Michael looked at his friend sadly and stroked his hair gently.

            “I’m so sorry buddy. I know how it feels, trust me,” he said, looking at Rich, who was looking back at Michael sadly. “I don’t know what to tell you except to either tell him the truth and make him listen, or move on. Those are the only two options you have at this point,” Michael said softly. Jeremy sniffed and sat up, his light blue eyes red from crying.

            “I’m scared to tell him. He’ll hate me…,” Jeremy said softly. Michael sighed.

            “I don’t think that’s the case Jeremy, honestly,” Michael replied. Jeremy was about to respond when a shout was heard from the top of the stairs. The music stopped as the crowd of teens looked up to see a red-faced, angry William Squip stomping down the stairs in practically a sprint.

            “WHERE THE HELL IS JEREMY HEERE?!” he shouted angrily. Jeremy jumped in his seat in fear. What was going on?

            A few of the people in the crowd pointed over towards Jeremy’s direction. The traitors. Jeremy stood up and steadied himself before trying unsuccessfully to run away. Alcohol and running, however, didn’t go well together as Jeremy soon discovered as he saw the floor coming closer to his face. Before he hit the floor, Jeremy felt an arm encircle his waist. He stopped falling and looked up to see Will staring at him with a furious expression on his face.

            “You have A LOT of explaining to do Jeremy!” he said in irritation.

            “Why?” Jeremy whined. Why was Will talking to him again?

            “You know why! You don’t just have sex with me, and keep it to yourself you moron!” he yelled. Jeremy felt his body tense up. He knew! Will knew what had happened that night! The question was ‘how?’.

            “H-how?” he voiced aloud.

            “I am NOT talking about his in front of all these damn people!” Will huffed, and yanked Jeremy by the waist with him up the stairs.

Growling when Jeremy couldn’t get his feet right, Will grasped the back of Jeremy’s legs with his other arm and picked him up bridal style. He stomped up the stairs as many people stared at them from behind in surprise. If Jeremy had been sober, he would have been blushing. Instead, he was drunkenly marveling at Will’s super strength.

Once they turned the corner, Will opened up the door to a room and walked in. He slammed the door behind them with his foot and threw Jeremy on the bed. This seemed vaguely familiar to Jeremy, but this time he was the one drunk and Will appeared to be perfectly sober.

Before either boy could say another word, a screech could be heard on the other side of the door. It flew open to reveal a very livid Madeline Lancaster. Her hair was askew, and her face was a vibrant red. She gave Jeremy a scathing look, then turned to Will to give him one as well.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! I have never been treated like this in my entire life! You don’t just get something started, and then run off! You know you pushed me off the bed?! ME?! Do you KNOW who I am?! Do you have any idea who my father is?!” she shrieked. Will gave no response, only glared at her coldly.

“And you’re acting this way for who? This guy! He’s a wimp! He’s average looking at best, he’s not that smart, he’s not rich, and he doesn’t have any connections! He’s NOT a part of our world Will! Your father would have a fit if he knew you slept with a guy. He’s going to be even more upset that you slept with THIS guy! A total nobody!” she yelled through gritted teeth.

“Are you done yet, you bitch?” Will asked calmly. The cold tone made Jeremy shiver. Madeline stared him down, but said nothing. Jeremy could see a hint of fear and confusion in her eyes. Apparently, she didn’t know Will as good as she let on. The only Will she knew was the fake, charming one, not the cold, calculating person he truly was.

“One, you are NOTHING to me. You are a flea, no, you are the speck of dirt on a flea. You are miniscule, you hold no merit except to deceive and pop out heirs to some poor fool in the future. Two, your father is a worthless ‘yes man’ who would have filed for bankruptcy a long time ago if he didn’t make money illegally through half-assed schemes that my father only tolerates since it lines his pockets as well. Third, this ‘guy’ you see before you has more charm and wit in his pinky toe than you do in your entire body. Four, I also see you knew about the true events of that night as well, I have no doubt you have been using my failed memory to your advantage. I applaud you for your resourcefulness, but have to give you a failing grade for not having a back up plan if my memory came back. Lastly, my father and his discovery of this situation has nothing to do with you. Now, I would appreciate it if you would leave the room this instant,” he finished icily. Madeline stared at him in shock.

“You…you…impotent bastard!” she yelled. “Wait until the whole school hears about how William Squip can’t get it up! I wasn’t going to say anything, but if you're going to be this way, I have no choice,” she said snidely. Jeremy looked between her and Will in surprise.

“You’re half right. I can get it up, just not with you,” Will replied coldly. Madeline gave an aggravated shriek before leaving the room and slamming the door closed in her wake. Jeremy stared at the door in shock, then looked up at Will in surprised confusion.

“I thought it was strange,” Will began, Jeremy leaned in to listen intently. “I have never taken an interest in anyone sexually. Not even when I went through puberty. I’ve known that harpy for far longer than I care to admit, and not once have I looked at her in that way. I’ve never looked at anyone that way. I’ve tried and tried, but I never got hard. I thought it was just the way I was born. I just wasn’t meant to have those feelings or urges for others, until… Well, not until…I met you,” Will said, looking over at Jeremy intently.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta dah! New chapter, new discoveries! The plot thickens! Hope y'all enjoyed it! :D


	20. The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will talks to Jeremy about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is rape and abuse in this chapter, so if you get triggered by either one of these things, then be careful, or don't read. The last thing I want to do is cause someone to relive emotional and/or physical pain.

 

Jeremy’s eyebrows rose in astonishment. Will had to be messing with him! Wouldn’t that mean that he was a virgin before he slept with Jeremy? Impossible for someone like Will!

His drunken mind, that was slowly becoming more sober, grew hazy. A furious yelling William Squip, being carried up the stairs roughly, and the incident with Madeline had sobered him up significantly.

Realizing his problem, Will stood up and went into the adjacent bathroom. Jeremy heard the water run, then stop. Will came back out with a wet washcloth in his hand. He then handed it to Jeremy, who pressed the cool fabric to his face, rubbing it across it slowly. Will sat beside him patiently as he collected himself.

A few minutes later, Jeremy felt better and his mind grew more clear. He thought about where he left off and continued on.

“You-you were a virgin?” Jeremy muttered, Will shook his head. Jeremy wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

“Not…with the experience you’re thinking of though,” he said quietly. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside Jeremy. Jeremy crossed his legs and watched as he struggled to speak, a strange thing to see Will do since he always seemed to know what to say.

“I’ve already told you a little bit about my father. He has always expected the best of me, and has made me jump through various hoops to achieve the best. I was sent to the best schools, introduced to the most influential people, given the newest brand name clothes, drove the newest sports cars, and so much more because of my father. When my mother passed, he was there to set me on the right path to success when I had no one else. I’m telling you this to explain why my actions. He is someone I looked up to, still do in some cases, and I thought that he could do no wrong. My father always seemed to know what to do no matter what. Until, I realized he didn’t know what was best all the time.”

*

*

            _Fourteen-year-old William Squip walked down the halls of SQE with purposeful steps. His walk never faltered as he headed towards the CEO’s office. Mr. Roland Squip had called him during his free period at school to rendezvous with him for a meeting. Will assumed it was about his fifteenth birthday coming up. There was supposed to be a party in his honor the following night. It was probably about how the festivities were to be scheduled._

_Will came upon his father’s secretary, Gloria. The older lady had been by his father’s side for many years now. She gave him a smile as he approached. He gave her a genuine smile in response. He was fond of her, she was both loyal and competent in her work. Gloria also had the patience of a saint when it came to his father. Will hoped she was still around when he took his father’s place, because he would love to see a smiling face when that happened._

_“Hello Mr. William, how are you doing this evening?” she asked politely._

_“I’m doing well Gloria. How has your day been?” he asked. She knew when he asked that he was really asking how his father’s mood was today. Gloria gave him a smile._

_“Tolerable, Mr. William. It has been a steady day so far,” she said. Will nodded in response. She smiled again and pressed the button to the intercom._

_“Mr. Squip, your son is here,” she said calmly. A smooth voice on the other end spoke back._

_“Send him in,” it commanded._

_“Yes sir,” she replied. She took her hand off the button and waved Will on through._

_“Thanks Gloria,” she gave him a smile as he walked on through the double doors to the office._

_It was large and spacious with the back wall being made up of entirely glass. The theme was sleek, modern, with black leather furniture. His father stood with his back to him behind his desk. Will stood in front of the visitor’s chair and waited on him to turn around. He had learned not to talk before his father a long time ago, just like he had also learned not to sit before him either._

_“Glad to see you could make it William,” his father said icily. Will frowned, he had been right on time.  “You are to be at least ten minutes early before a meeting. Twenty to be perfect. It shows that you value the person you are meeting’s time. Remember that William,” he said coldly, turning around and staring down at him with piercing blue eyes. The same as Will’s own eyes. Will gave a nod._

_“I am sorry father. I did not mean to make it seem like your time was not valuable. I will make the proper corrections in the future,” Will replied. He had to start thinking more like a business man, he should have known not to be right on time. He had gotten sloppy._

_“Also, do NOT apologize. A man NEVER apologizes,” he said sharply. Will stilled his expression. One wrong move and his father would pounce on him. When his father saw no signs of weakness in his stance or face, he gave an approving nod and sat down in his seat. Will sat down along with him, keeping his back straight. Every time he felt like slouching he would feel a sting across his back and straighten up again. His father’s methods may be unconventional, but they worked._

_“You are here to do me a favor this afternoon,” he said, putting his hands together and staring down his son._

_“Yes sir, what do you need me to do?” Will said, saying no would have been a terrible error._

_“There is an important international client that will be coming in a few minutes to my office. He has insisted on bringing his daughter along. I need you to keep her company while I seal this deal. And you need to seal the deal with the girl,” he said, looking down at the papers in front of him. Will frowned._

_“I understand entertaining her until the meetings over, but I don’t recall making any deals with her or her father’s affiliates,” he said in confusion. His father rolled his eyes in irritation._

_“Do not be so obtuse William. This girl has a reputation to be promiscuous with the sons of important clients. Her hack of a father listens to her every whim. If we can get good relations with her, then we can gain even better relations with her father, and most importantly, his trading company,” he explained. Will felt sick._

_“I understand father, but I don’t have experience in that area,” he said. Will had been too busy with his education and business training to be concerned about the opposite sex. He had never been intrigued by them like his classmates had been at his all-boys private school. Even going through puberty, he hadn’t yet had a reaction down there before. He was becoming concerned that there was something wrong with him. He had been researching and had found that there was a possibility he had low testosterone levels-_

_“It’s not a difficult assignment Will. Females are tools in our world. Sweet talk them, bed them, and leave them. And if you happen to find one that can grant you enough financial and social power, marry her and produce heirs. That’s all there is to it. Who knows, maybe this girl will be an asset to you in the future,” he said interrupting Will’s thoughts, furrowing his brows in the process. When his father did that, it meant it was time to make an exit._

_“Very well father. I’ll do as you’ve asked,” he said submissively, then he stood up and nodded towards his father._

_“Good. You shall remain here for the time being until they arrive,” he said approvingly, the furrow now gone from his face. Good, Will had dodged another bullet._

_Gloria’s voice then came through the speaker on Roland’s desk._

_“Sir, you’re one o’clock meeting is here,” she said._

_“Send them in,” he replied, standing to attention in the process. Will took his place beside him behind the desk._

_A large, middle-aged man with light blonde hair and hazel eyes walked through the door, followed by a young blonde woman with calculating, dark brown eyes. Will assumed this to be the daughter, she was a lot older than he had thought she would be. The girl was at least seventeen, maybe even eighteen. There was no way she would be interested in kid like him, even if he looked older than his true age._

_“Greetings Mr. Squip, it is a pleasure to finally meet you,” the man said, walking up and shaking his father’s hand. The accent sounded Dutch to Will’s ears. “This is my daughter Julia, she just graduated the top of her class at Le Rosey,” he gloated. So, the girl was at most eighteen. There was no way he was going to be able to complete his father’s mission. As attractive as she was, Will still felt no physical reaction towards her no matter how hard he tried to focus on her breasts or bottom or hair or any other physical attribute! There was also the matter of their age difference, and the high unlikelihood that she wouldn’t want to involve herself with a kid in junior high._

_As their fathers spoke, he noticed her glance over at him with a smirk. Oh, she must have noticed him staring at her, though not for the reasons she might think. Will gave her a polite smile and nod. She returned it with a sultry look. Okay, maybe the unlikelihood of her being interested in him wasn’t that high after all. Maybe he could gain her favor without sexual means. He didn’t know the first thing about that stuff anyway. Now, being charming and conversating he could do._

_“Ah! Julia, why don’t you let young William here show you around his father’s company. It is going to be his someday too!” he said, giving her an obvious hint. She smiled at her father and nodded._

_“Of course. I would be delighted,” she said merrily. Her voice was high and sweet. Will was sure she was anything but sweet, considering the lustful stares in his direction after she heard of his inheritance. Even if he didn’t have problems with his libido, he probably would have still been put off by her obvious signs of lust for power. Wasn’t that the world he was born into though? Shouldn’t he be the same?_

_Will gave both men a nod and took her waiting arm as he led her out of the room. Gloria gave them a discrete look of worry as they passed. Will made sure to give her a reassuring smile before they were out of sight._

_“This is the lab where our newest technologies are tested, and this is where the design team meets to discuss the latest ideas-,” he said as they passed the various areas of the massive building. Contrary to his father’s opinion, Will liked the company’s work and took great interest in the business side of things. He could care less about the social and financial gain, and only saw them as means to an overall end. When he took over this company, he would make sure to expand more, and increase their clientele. His father only focused on collaborating with big, well-known businesses and trading companies. Will felt he failed to see the benefit of supporting and joining with the smaller businesses around them. They were sure to bring in fresh, new ideas and people. The thought of it made Will excited for the future of the company when he finally go to take over._

_Julia looked on with boredom or false enthusiasm as they walked. She was clearly not interested in what he was saying. Will gave an internal sigh. Another person who had little interest in what he had to say, wonderful._

_“Enough about all this, what would you like to see?” Will asked politely._

_Julia gave him a promiscuous grin and pulled him in a different direction than the one they had been going._

_“I have something I would like to see more than anything right now~,” she said sweetly. Will really didn’t want to know what that ‘something’ was, but thought of his father’s stern look and what would happen if he didn’t follow the girl. Shivering while thinking about an angry Roland, he allowed her to yank him into a deserted area of the company. Finding an isolated, unused office, she jerked him inside and locked the door behind them._

_Will turned around, only for his lips to encounter her mouth as she pushed him onto the desk in the middle of the room. He felt fear shoot up his spine as she began to unbuckle his belt._

_“H-hey! Let’s not do this here, okay? Maybe when we get to know one another better?” he said quickly, throwing the thoughts of his father out of his mind for the time being._

_She giggled at him, “Oh, you’re new at this aren’t you? It’s okay, don’t be scared. I’ll show you a good time!” Will almost shrieked in protest as she put her mouth on his flaccid dick._

_As expected, he didn’t harden. After a minute, she began to frown and slipped it out of her mouth._

_“What is wrong with you? Usually when I do this it starts to get hard by now,” she said with irritation._

_Will felt himself begin to sweat, his breathing becoming uneven. His mind was in a state of shock. He felt terrified of the girl between his legs right now, and he had no idea how to stop it._

_“Maybe blowjobs aren’t your thing huh?” she said, pushing her underwear off out from under her pleated skirt. Will found his voice then._

_“S-Stop! I don’t want to do this! Please get off,” he pleaded. He felt frightened, and his body felt paralyzed. She looked up at him with a look of amusement._

_“I understand you’re a virgin. I was nervous my first time, but trust me, it’ll feel better soon,” she said, lust in her dark eyes. He gave one last plea before she pushed down on him._

_“D-don’t!”_

_It felt gross. He wanted her off and he wanted her off now, but he couldn’t find the strength to. His body wouldn’t move no matter how hard he tried to command it to do so. She began to move on top of him, much to his horror. His member remained flaccid, and tears sprang to his eyes as he felt the sickening sensations below. He wanted it to end._

_Julia growled and drew herself off him, clearly agitated. She backed away and threw her underwear back on roughly._

_“What the hell is up with you? Are you gay or something? I expected so much more!” she said, leaving the office in a huff._

_This left Will alone with his thoughts. He allowed the tears to fall down his cheeks as he stiffly got up and pulled his pants back up. Wiping the tears off his face, he headed to the nearest restroom to throw up the contents of his stomach. After he was done, he splashed some water on his face and slowly made his way back to his father’s office._

_Gloria was no where to be seen, probably running an errand for his father. It was kind of a relief she wasn’t there. He didn’t want her to see him like this, or what he would look like once he came out of the office._

_Pulling open the doors he noticed his father’s company had already left, leaving only him and his father in the room. His father looked up from his work and gazed at him coldly. Will felt his stomach drop. He was going to be sick again._

_“I gave you one job William. Answer me this, did you succeed in completing your job?” he asked while standing up. Will could already feel what was about to come._

_“No sir,” he muttered quietly._

_“SPEAK UP!” his father shouted. Will flinched. A big mistake. He heard the book flying before he felt it make an impact against his head._

_Will steadied himself, preventing his fall. He saw stars for a minute before answering loudly, “I said no sir!”_

_“I had to renegotiate terms when that insipid bitch came back here claiming that she had been ‘expecting more from one of America’s biggest technological businesses’. Her father wanted to back out before I compromised some of the terms. Your failure could have cost us William!” he said, walking over and smacking him across the face. This time, Will did fall to the ground._

_Will looked up to see a dangerous glint in his father’s eyes._

_“I swear, you can be so useless. Stand up right now. We are going to do the verbal reinforcement,” he commanded, kicking him in the back before walking away. Will winced, but stood._

_“Repeat after me: everything about you is so terrible!” he said._

_“Everything about me is so terrible,” he repeated._

_“Everything about you makes me want to die!”_

_“Everything about me makes you want to die.”_

_“Everything about you sucks!”_

_“Everything about me sucks.”_

_“All the people around you think you’re a slob!”_

_“All the people around me think I’m a slob.”_

_“Remember these words, William. Live by them. Remember and better yourself! And DON’T fail me again!” he said, smacking him against the head. Will’s body jerked forward, but he held still. He felt a drip of something touch his face, but decided to find out what it was later. He couldn’t show weakness, or it would only get worse._

_“Yes sir!” he said loudly. Roland sighed and rubbed the space between his eyebrows._

_“Leave me,” he commanded._

_Not needing further instructions, Will hurried out the door. He was relieved it had been no worse. Hiding the black eye had been a pain last time. He felt another drip against his face and brought his hand up to feel where it was coming from. Bringing it back down, he saw a bright red marring his fingers. The book must have done worse damage than he had thought._

_Walking to the nearest bathroom, Will cleaned himself up and looked in the mirror at the reflection staring back at him. He felt like he had lost something valuable today, and his eyes looked less vivid as they had this morning._

_“Everything about me is so terrible. Everything about me make him want to die. Everything about me sucks-,” he chanted quietly._

_‘Words to live by’ indeed._

_*_

_*_

            Jeremy felt tears slip down his face as Will finished.

            Not thinking about his actions, Jeremy leaned up a wrapped his arms around the boys beside him. He cradled his head in his arms. No wonder the guy had a screw loose in the head! Good God!

            Jeremy felt his shirt become wet, but didn’t say anything as he allowed Will to cry in silence. After a while, Jeremy straddled Will’s hips and looked in his red-rimmed eyes.

            “Do me a favor, and repeat after me: Everything about you is so wonderful,” Jeremy said. Will looked at him in surprise and looked down. Jeremy cupped his face in his hands and gently forced him to look in his eyes again.

            “Please…for me?” he asked.

            “Everything about me is so wonderful,” Will whispered. Jeremy gave him a tender smile.

            “Everything about you makes me feel alive.”

            “Everything about me makes you feel alive.”

            “Everything about you charms.”

            “Everything about me charms.”

            “All the people around you think you’re amazing,” he finished. Will smiled faintly at him.

            “All the people around me think I’m amazing,” he said.

            “Good. Now remember those words instead and live by them. Okay?” Jeremy said, pressing his lips against Will’s in a chaste kiss. Will’s face flushed pink, and Will nodded. Tears were forming in the corner of his eyes again. Jeremy wiped them away and smiled.

            “Thanks for telling me,” Jeremy said. Will nodded, resting his head against Jeremy’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around his waist in a tight embrace.

            Jeremy smiled and hugged him back.

            _Finally_ , he thought.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...this is the newest chapter. Pretty heavy huh? It'll turn light again, I swear. I just wanted to reveal the reason behind Will's behaviors. This was a pretty dark chapter, but I hoped you liked learning more about Will's background! Till next time!


	21. Question and Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Jeremy talk it out.

 

“Why did you leave that night?” Will asked as he stroked Jeremy’s hair with one hand while the other laid against his back.

            They were currently asking questions to each other back and forth, both silently agreeing to ask one question, give one answer in return, then ask another question. Jeremy laid against Will’s chest, looking up at him from below as he contemplated on how to best answer the question.

            “I didn’t want you to be disappointed,” he said, looking at the wall behind Will. In his peripheral, he saw Will frown.

            “What do you mean disappointed?” he asked in confusion.

            “I mean…disappointed, or mad, that you slept with me of all people. I thought you would be disgusted that you slept with a guy, for one, and that the guy was me. I didn’t want to be there when you woke up and realized what happened. So, I panicked and ran like the coward I am,” he said, nuzzling into Will’s chest to avoid eye contact.

            “And so you left me there to wake up _alone_ wondering who the hell it was I slept with? Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I thought I had slept with _Madeline Lancaster_! I hadn’t even known my body could react like that to even have sex with someone in the first place! Then that slut tells me I fucked her?! I almost had a stroke!” he exclaimed. He hit Jeremy’s back lightly in reprimand. Jeremy looked up at him slowly from his chest.

            “I know this won’t make up for it, but I am sorry. After what happened when I accidently spent the night at your house, I honestly didn’t think you had any of those kinds of problems down there. I thought it was the alcohol, not because you had feelings for…someone like me,” he said.

            “We will have to talk about your self-esteem issues sometime, and what night are you talking about?”

            “Y’know, when I spent the night on your couch with you around the time we first met.”

            “Oh God…what happened _that_ night?! I wasn’t even drunk then!” Will asked, starting to panic.

            “Well… I woke up, touched your hair…because I was curious to see if it was soft or not,” Jeremy admitted blushingly, “and you reacted down there,” he finished, indicating towards Will’s member. Will’s face became flushed.

            “That explains that morning then,” he said with contemplation.

            “You mean when you freaked out and fell off the couch? I thought that was mainly because you were surprised to see me there?” Jeremy asked. Will nodded.

            “There was that. I also had never slept with someone else before.” Jeremy looked at him in surprise. “The main thing was when I woke up and I found out I was hard. That was the first time I had ever been hard before. As embarrassing as it was, it scared the shit out of me,” he said, continuing to stroke Jeremy’s hair. “I didn’t know if it was a fluke that you were there or not. It’s not like you were able to touch it or anything. I shrugged it off eventually as a coincidence, but I couldn’t get it to move again after that,” Will admitted. He then broke eye contact and blushed a fierce shade of red. There was something he did NOT want to talk about.

            “You’ve gotten to ask a lot of questions in a row, so it’s my turn. What aren’t you telling me?” Jeremy asked. Will turned towards him and gave a groan.

            “I swear, if you talk to anyone else about this I will kill you,” he said, clearly embarrassed. Jeremy rolled his eyes and nodded. Will visibly swallowed, Jeremy had never seen him this nervous before.

            “I thought it was all an accidental biological occurrence that you happened to be present for, until I started to…shit…uh…get hard…every time I saw…you,” Will said blushing. Jeremy looked at him in surprise. “It was a pain in the ass to hide it. I don’t understand how all of the other teenage boys can handle getting erect from more than one person, because it was hard not to react…to touch you. I don’t mean just sexually!” he amended as Jeremy listened to him intently.

“I mean, I was tempted to just touch your hand or your shoulder or back or wherever! It was torture. Then I find out I slept with somebody, who, judging by the sheets, successfully slept with me? My first thought was you, but then I heard those rumors about you being with Brooke all night, which will be discussed soon (insert glare at Jeremy), and this made me think that you had nothing to do with it, and that there was apparently someone else out there who could make me react like you could,” Will explained.

“Then Madeline came in and told you that it was her,” Jeremy said softly. Will nodded.

“THAT confused me to no end. There I was about to confess my feelings to you, and here that… harlot comes claiming that she slept with me! I’ve known her for a long time since her father works for mine, but I’ve never paid her any mind, let alone be sexually attracted towards her. I thought if I spent some time with her I could find out what happened. I knew instinctively she was lying, and I thought my best chance of finding the person who I DID have sex with would be to stay close to her for a while.”

“So, you also started dating her?” Jeremy asked with a pout. Will smirked and removed his hand from Jeremy’s hair to his bottom lip, tugging at it gently.

“Temporarily, until she slipped up and told me what I needed to know. Despite being a shameless skank, she isn’t stupid. I had to bide my time until she got comfortable enough to admit some form of the truth,” he explained. He seemed to be entranced by Jeremy’s bottom lip as he stared at it heatedly.

Jeremy raised his head and gave him a peck on the lips. He felt Will shudder and felt something hard poking him in the stomach. Jeremy didn’t have to look down to know what it was. He chose to ignore it for now.

“So, why me?” Jeremy asked curiously. He had no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and he average in everything. His looks, smarts, and talents were all subpar, so he couldn’t see how someone like Will could like someone like him. Will frowned in confusion.

“Why not you?” he asked, as if Jeremy should already know the answer.

“Well…I’m not exactly spectacular. I’m not really all that smart, good-looking, or…special. I’m just…normal,” he replied. “I could understand if it was someone handsome like Jake, or talented like Christine, but me? I just don’t get it,” he continued to explain.

“You need to have more confidence in yourself Jeremy. You’re cute, you’re too nice for your own good, you always see the good in everyone, and that includes even me,” he said as Jeremy blushed. “You really don’t understand the effect you have on people. Do you know how many people I’ve had to scare off just so no one else would ask you out?” Will admitted, then turned pink when he realized what he had just admitted.

“What are you talking about?” Jeremy asked in surprise. “No one has ever asked me out!”

“Of course, they didn’t! What do think I mean by ‘scare off’? That Tod guy, Dustin Kropp, a couple of guys from the swim team, Jake Dillinger, Michael-,” he listed a few more girls’ names and shut his mouth.

“What?! Why I haven’t I heard about this? And Michael is not interested in me like that! There was one month he thought he liked me when we were in middle school, but that was the only time! He’s been in love with Rich for about 2 years now!” Jeremy exclaimed. William grunted and looked away.

“Yeah you haven’t heard about it. I made sure they kept their mouths’ shut, and Mell touches you far too much for you two to be considered ‘just friends’,” he said bitterly.

“Um, Michael is a touchy-feely guy with everyone, not just me, and second, what makes you think it was okay for you just threaten people so they would stay away from me?! Not cool! AND embarrassing! You might have well as wrote ‘Property of William Squip’ on my backpack!” Jeremy said, turning pink. His anxiety was beginning to rear its ugly head. What had all those kids thought when Will talked to them? Had people been talking about him behind his back? Oh God!

“Chill out Jeremy. I didn’t say anything gossip-worthy. I just advised them to move in different directions,” he said vaguely.

“That does NOT sound reassuring,” Jeremy replied, clearly stressed out.

“I did, however, get tempted to write something along those lines on your backpack, or person, or wherever,” he said, leaning towards Jeremy to kiss his forehead. Jeremy rolled his eyes in annoyance, but said nothing else.

“Are you sure Mell isn’t interested?” he asked warily. Jeremy shook his head.

“No, we have never seen one another like that before,” Jeremy then proceeded to tell him the story of he and his two friends’ kissing experiment in Jr. High. When he was done, Will looked at him with a blank look, then crashed his lips into Jeremy’s roughly. Jeremy’s light blue eyes widened in surprise before closing them to enjoy the feeling. He through all his reservations out the window and decided to jump into the moment while it lasted.

Jeremy groaned against his mouth and wrapped his arms around Will’s waist. Will encircled him into his own arms and pulled him close enough to where there was no space left between them. Jeremy gasped as he felt Will grind against him in languid movements. Being the teenage, hormone-led boy, he was, Jeremy returned as good as he got, causing Will to quicken his pace in excitement.

Their lips and tongues moved sloppily against one another as they rolled their hips against one another rapidly. Jeremy’s member hardened almost immediately after they started. He could feel Will’s against his own. There were too many clothes in the way for Jeremy’s liking, but he was determined to let Will make all the first moves, especially after hearing about his past. He didn’t want to do anything Will wouldn’t feel comfortable with. Not that Jeremy knew enough to begin with, since the only experience he had was with the guy he was currently smashed against.

Will grabbed on to his bottom lip with his teeth and gently bit down. Jeremy moaned in delight as Will nibbled along his lip down to his neck. Jeremy’s eyes rolled the back of his head at the overstimulation. It didn’t help when Will’s hands began to glide across his back to the hem of his pants. Jeremy’s eyes popped open as he came to his senses.

“H-hey, let’s s-stop,” Jeremy gasped. Will continued to suck and lick.

“Will…,” he whined. This only incited the other boy further as he groaned against Jeremy’s neck and increased his ministrations. He glided his hands down and began to unbutton Jeremy’s jeans when they heard a shriek come from behind them.

They both jumped and turned to see a furious Madeline, a frazzled Jake, a pleasantly surprised Chloe, a shocked Rich and Michael, and an excited Christine. Brooke stood to Chloe’s side and looked at them with worry. Apparently, Christine was the one who screamed in her excitement.

Will slowly pulled away from Jeremy, helping him sit up in the process. They both smoothed their askew hair down and looked at them with red faces. Will glared at Madeline while Jeremy looked at Michael and Christine sheepishly.

“Told you guys. And you didn’t believe me when I said Will was gay, and for acne face no less. I guess I understand why I wasn’t his taste. Apparently, William is into scrawny guys with bad skin conditions,” Madeline snarked. Jake frowned, while everyone else glared at her. Jeremy looked down in embarrassment. Will opened his mouth when he was beat to the punch.

“Oh, shut the fuck up you slut. You’re the last person I want to hear talking about taste. And if anyone was to know about bad skin conditions it would be you,” Chloe replied with her hands on her hips. “Heere hasn’t had a pimple in over a month, something you definitely can’t say for yourself. Now, do us all a favor and get the fuck out of Jake’s house. Coming up here for this was a complete waste of my precious time,” she finished, dismissing the blonde with a wave of her hand.

“Get off your high horse Valentine! This is Jake’s house, NOT yours! You can’t tell me where to go you bitch! And I thought you would interested to know that we have two more gays among us! Jake, at least, ought to know so he can watch his back, literally!” Madeline shrieked.

 There was something about Chloe Valentine that rubbed Madeline Lancaster the wrong way, maybe it was because they were too much alike? Though Jeremy thought Chloe had a better nice-streak than Madeline did. They had been rivals for as long as Jeremy could remember, and it didn’t look like that was going to change anytime soon.

Rich and Michael looked ready to claw her eyes out, Brooke looked down in worry, Christine frowned at her in distaste, and Jake scowled. No one in the room looked very happy. Especially Will, who was about to spring out of the bed and throw her out of the room himself.

“For God’s sake, Jake, get her out of here. I’m sick and tired of hearing her squeal about being gay. Honestly, as a lesbian, it is insulting,” Chloe said with a roll of her eyes, Brooke gave a tiny gasp of surprise beside her. “Btw, NOT the way I wanted to come out,” she finished with a flick of her hair.

Jake nodded and proceeded to give Madeline a harsh glare, something that made her flinch.

“Get out of MY house now. My best friend is bi and has a gay boyfriend, so why would I care if Will and Jeremy are gay or whatever? Now, leave before I make you,” Jake commanded.

“WHATEVER! I AM SO DONE!” she screamed, stomping away. Jake glared.

“I’m going to make sure she leaves,” he said before following her.

“Such a waste of time,” Chloe reiterated before looking towards Jeremy and Will. “I guess I’ll offer my congratulations. I hope it lasts a while. You two are cute. Come on Brooke,” she commanded as she exited. Brooke followed behind her, a hopeful look in her eyes as she gazed at the back of the taller girl’s head.

“Um…well that happened,” Michael said awkwardly. Rich nodded in agreement, holding onto Michael’s arm as he did so. Christine squealed again and hopped up and down before throwing herself at Jeremy.

“Jeremy! I’m so happy for you! I told you it would work out if you talked it out!” she said as she clung to his neck. Jeremy blushed a deep red as Will arched an eyebrow at him in a silent question.

“You seriously didn’t notice that Jeremy had the hots for you?” Michael asked from the doorway. Will looked at him in surprise.

“Really?” he asked quietly. Oh no….and there is the smirk. Smug bastard.

“Michael! Shut up!” Jeremy squeaked.

“Does this mean you two are dating now? I mean, when we first came in it looked like you were together. Am I wrong? Or is this a friends-with-benefits situation?” Christine asked in rapid succession.

“Christine!” Jeremy reprimanded in a high-pitched tone.

“I guess he could be my _boyfriend,_ we’ll have to work on some things though,” Will said, a teasing look to his eye.

“Will!” Jeremy exclaimed.

            What had he gotten himself into with this guy?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a few days. I've been preoccupied with work (12 hour days...not fun) and I've been having issues having motivation to write. I've been having problems with my depression lately, thus the lack of interest in writing and pretty much anything else. BUT, I'm back now! I hope you guys like the chapter. It was a difficult to figure out how I wanted it. Anyway, enjoy! :)


	22. First Date Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Jeremy go out on their first date.

 

“Jeremy, I don’t think I can do this!” Brooke quietly squeaked.

            Jeremy and Brooke were currently walking through the school’s silent hallways on their way to meet Chloe, or for Brooke to meet Chloe to be more specific. After seeing all her friends have luck in love, Brooke decided that it was time to confess to Chloe. Though she was hesitant at first, Jeremy finally convinced her to carry on with her confession by inviting Chloe somewhere private. So, he borrowed the auditorium keys from Christine and Brooke invited Chloe to meet her in the changing room beside the stage. It was a place where there was no chance of them being interrupted.

            “Yes, you can! We know she’s into girls AND you two have been friends for a long time! She isn’t going to be mean or rude, if anything she’ll be flattered about your feelings!” Jeremy encouraged. Brooke straightened up and nodded.

            “You’re right! Chloe can be blunt and mean, but she would never trample over someone else’s true feelings. Except maybe her exes, and people she dislikes. Oh no…what if she really dislikes me?! What if our friendship has been a lie and she has only kept me around to make herself look good? Or has just been using me as an assistant of sorts? This is stupid! She’s going to laugh at me if I confess I’m in love with her!”

            “Brooke! Get a hold of yourself! We’re here!” Jeremy said as they stopped in front of the auditorium’s changing room door where Chloe was supposed to be waiting. “You and Chloe are best friends and have been for years! She clearly cares about you or she wouldn’t have kept you around her for this long! You sound like you’re underestimating her ability to care and it’s not fair to her if you keep lying about your true feelings for her,” Jeremy put his hands on her shoulders as he spoke.

            With watery eyes, she looked up and nodded.

            “You’re right. It’s not fair. I’ll tell her the truth. It’ll take this weight on my chest off at least, even if she doesn’t feel the same way,” she said resolutely. Taking a deep breath and turning towards the door, she opened it and walked through. Jeremy stood back so Chloe couldn’t see him. When the door closed, he pressed his ear up against the door to listen in. Hey, he was curious.

            “So, why are we here right now instead of at Pinkberry?” he heard Chloe ask.

            “Sorry for asking you to meet me here on such short notice, but I really needed to talk to you somewhere we wouldn’t be interrupted,” Brooke replied softly.

            “Okay? You’re talking nerdy right now. You only talk that way when somethings wrong. So, what’s going on?” Chloe asked, her tone slightly taking on one of concern.

            “Well…I haven’t been entirely honest with you…for a few years now actually,” Brooke said sheepishly. Jeremy could imagine Chloe’s frown and her hands going on her hips in defense.

            “What are you talking about Brooke?” Chloe asked cautiously.

            “Um…for a while now…I’ve been…finding myself…attracted to not only boys, but girls too,” Brooked replied softly.

            “Oh…well, there’s nothing wrong with that. You know I’m a lesbian. Did you think I would have a problem with that you were bi?” Chloe asked in confusion.

            “No, it’s not that. I wanted to tell you how I knew I was bi. I’m just not for sure how you’re going to take it…,” Brooke said quietly, Jeremy had to press harder against the door to hear her better.

            “Brooke, I know I can be a bitch about a lot of things, but your feelings have never been one of them. Now, tell me what’s up,” Chloe said. Jeremy had never heard her sound so genuine or nice before.

            “Um…well…I-I knew I l-liked girls too a f-few years ago w-when I realized that…I w-was in…in…love w-with…you,” Brooke squeaked the last word out. The room turned dead silent. Jeremy inhaled as the silence stretched. He really wished he could see Chloe’s expression right now.

            After a long, excruciating minute, Chloe finally spoke.

            “Wow. Brooke. I had NO idea. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked quietly.

            “I was scared you didn’t feel the same way, and I didn’t have a clue that you liked girls. I thought I didn’t stand a chance,” Brooke replied.

            “You’re the only one who had a chance Brookie… The main reason I knew I was a lesbian was because I’ve been in love with you since forever ago,” Chloe said, her voice slightly shaking. Jeremy could hear Brooke sob in relief.  “I would find myself noticing all your cute faces and the sweet way you talk to others, and I realized that I wanted to always be by your side no matter what. The only problem was that you only dated and showed an interest in guys. I didn’t think I stood a chance with YOU. So, I gave up and realized that I was attracted to other girls too. I’ve been with guys, but they never interested me as much as other girls did. But NO girl has had me as interested as you do. No one. I’ve always had a thing for you, and I think I always will,” Chloe finished.

            Jeremy heard some minor rustling and heard a faint muffled. He guessed they were hugging now. Smiling, Jeremy stepped away from the door and walked away. He would give them some much needed privacy now that things had worked out.

            Turning the corner, Jeremy saw Will waiting for him by his locker. Jeremy beamed and practically skipped over towards his boyfriend. Even the word ‘boyfriend’ made him want to melt into a pile of goop.

            “Hey! Have you been waiting long?” Jeremy asked as he reached the taller boy.

            “Just for a few minutes,” Will replied, putting his phone in his pocket. “Did everything turn out alright?” he asked.

            “Yeah. Turns out, Chloe had been crushing on Brooke for a long time now too,” Jeremy said, closing his locker and taking Will’s hand in his own. Will squeezed his hand and led Jeremy out of the school towards the parking lot.

            “All’s well that ends well I guess,” Will said. Jeremy gave a nod of agreement. “So, you still haven’t told me where we’re going today,” he said to Jeremy in confusion.

            “You’ll have to be patient and let me drive. You are wearing a blind fold by the way,” Jeremy said with a smile. Will gave a mock huff and eye roll.

            “I’ll just have to trust your judgement, AND the safety of my vehicle.”

            “Just because I don’t own a car, doesn’t mean I’m a bad driver,” Jeremy said grumpily.

            “I know, I know, I worry since you don’t exactly get enough practice in is all,” Will said in explanation as Jeremy gave him an eye roll.

            “It’ll be okay. My dad has been letting me drive him around recently, so you’ll be safe.”

            “Things are going good with your dad now?” Will asked hesitantly. Jeremy had filled him in on their not so long-ago estrangement. Will knew better than anyone about rocky relationships with fathers, so Jeremy felt safe in sharing his feelings about his own troubles with his boyfriend.

            “Yeah, after our talk, we’ve been hanging out a lot more than usual. He’s also going back to work now, and, most importantly, wearing pants. Things have been great,” Jeremy was happy to say. Will gave a small smile.

            Jeremy felt bad that Will couldn’t relate to having a good relationship with his dad. Will admitted that he was slightly jealous, but as he had said after that, “You can’t miss what you’ve never had nor experienced.” It was still a bitter pill to swallow, at least to Jeremy it was.

            Will got in the passenger’s seat while Jeremy sat on the driver’s side. After they buckled up (safety first!) Jeremy grabbed a piece of cloth he had taken from the school’s prop room and tied it over a reluctant Will’s eyes. Afterwards, Jeremy waved a hand in front of his face. Will reached out and kissed the hand, causing Jeremy to squeak in surprise.

            “Can you see through that?!” he asked, putting a hand over his heart. That had really scared him.

            “No, but you’re too predictable,” Will said with a smirk. Jeremy frowned at his boyfriend’s smugness. Smirking, Jeremy started the car, and before taking off, leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips. Will jumped at the feeling.

            “What was that for?!” he asked, his tone laced in surprise.

            “Shouldn’t you know? I thought I was ‘predictable’?” Jeremy sassed. Will grumbled something unintelligible, but said nothing else.

            Jeremy chuckled and put the car in drive. As they made it onto the road, Jeremy grabbed Will’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. He felt Will squeeze back, giving a smile in response. Jeremy smiled in return, even though Will couldn’t see him.

            Once he had found out Will’s plans for them to be privately flown to Ontario to see Niagara Falls and eat at a five-star restaurant, Jeremy had decided that he would be the one to choose how they would spend their first date. It was only after promising Will that he could choose the next date location, that his sulky boyfriend allowed him to plan their outing.

            Jeremy had racked his brain for over a week before an idea for a first date struck him. While Will’s sexual history was practically non-existent, his dating background was not. Mr. Squip had set Will on many dates with many prominent young women from wealthy families, though Will avoided sexual encounters with all of them. Jeremy knew that he wanted to be different, to stand out. If this relationship was short-lived (and it might be considering he was dating the son of a millionaire, and Jeremy was a male, a non-rich one at that, which he was sure Will’s dad would have a ‘small’ issue with), Jeremy would make sure to make Will’s time with him stand out.

            “Okay, we’re here!” Jeremy said as he put the car in park. Will was about to take his blind fold off when Jeremy swatted his hands away.

            “I’m not allowed to take this thing off yet?” Will asked with a laugh. Jeremy smiled.

            “Not yet. Not until we get inside,” Jeremy said, getting out of the car. Will opened his own door and stepped out. When he closed the door behind him, Jeremy took his hand and led him towards the building.

            When they made it through the sliding glass doors, Jeremy took the blind fold off. Will blinked and scanned his surroundings.

            “Our first date…is going to be at a grocery store?” Will asked, arching a brow at Jeremy. “You passed up Ontario for this?”

            “No, you goof. We are going to cook a meal at my house today! We’re going to have to pick out what we’re going to make first though!” Jeremy said excitedly. Cooking was one of his secret passions. What? Women liked a man who could cook, and the best way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. So here they were!

            “You’re joking,” Will stated. Jeremy shook his head.

            “That is a negatory, my captain. I am being perfectly serious, now let’s go get a cart,” Jeremy said, dragging Will by the hand behind him.

            “You are such a dork,” Will said in exasperation as he rolled his eyes.

            “Wow. Exasperation AND an eye roll. That must be a record,” Jeremy teased as he wheeled a cart out of the cart line.  “Now, what is your favorite meal?”

            “Anything that has high nutritional value,” he said.

            “Okay, so how about a tossed salad and spaghetti? We’ve got some carbs for me, and vitamins and minerals for you,” Jeremy said as he pushed the cart down the aisles. Will gave a nod of agreement and looked around curiously.

            “Are those really free samples? Is it one sample per customer, or is it take however many you want? How often do they check the meat that’s laying out? They use a sprinkling system for the vegetables?” Will asked, plowing Jeremy with questions as they shopped.

            “Ah…they put the expiration dates and storage instructions on the cold food items,” Will muttered as he looked at the dairy food section. Jeremy looked over at him in confusion.

            “Have you ever been in a grocery store before?” he asked. Will shook his head, a light blush covering his face.

            “No. I’ve only ever seen prepared food,” he replied. Jeremy looked at him in surprise, but said nothing else. Not that he was shocked, but it still went over Jeremy’s head that anyone had gone through seventeen years of life without having stepped foot in a grocery store.

            “Okay, we have everything we need! Is there anything else you want to get before we check out?” Jeremy asked, looking over at the taller boy.

            “Yeah. I want to get ice cream. Pistachio ice cream.”

            “Really? Okay then,” he said. Mr. Whole Foods was going to eat something as unhealthy as ice cream? Jeremy made sure to grab chocolate syrup on their way to the check-out aisle while Will was undergoing temporary insanity. Will gave him a blank expression when he saw Jeremy place it in the cart. Jeremy frowned.

            “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

            “Yeah. I’m fine. Just thinking,” Will replied, clearly deep in thought.

            Jeremy shrugged and began to set their things on the conveyer belt. Will frowned, shaken out of thought, and watched Jeremy with interest. Jeremy made awkward small talk with the cashier as the old lady scanned their items. Will jumped as the counter began to move the stuff closer to them. Jeremy chuckled underneath his breath.

            When their groceries were bagged and placed in the cart, Jeremy pulled his wallet out from his back pocket. A flash of silver flew across his gaze as Will handed the lady his credit card. Jeremy threw a glare at his smug boyfriend as the cashier rang up their total and slid the card across the machine.

            “You didn’t have to do that y’know,” Jeremy said as they made their way out, bags in hand.

            “Your lip is out again,” Will said.

            “Yeah, yeah,” Jeremy replied petulantly.

            Once they put their bags in the backseat, Will turned Jeremy around and pressed their lips together. Jeremy gave a startled gasp as Will slipped his tongue inside his mouth. Jeremy wrapped his arms around the taller boy’s neck as Will raked his hands through Jeremy’s hair. Moments passed by as they stood their making out on the side of Will’s car, until a horn blared beside them.

            “Get a room fags!” a voice cried out from the vehicle. Will looked over at the voice and threw them his middle finger with a cold stare. “You trying to pick a fight?!” the voice yelled. Jeremy felt it was time for them to leave.

            “C’mon, let’s go,” he said, tugging his stoic boyfriend away from the shouting voice. Will nodded stiffly, but didn’t break eye contact with the older man who had now rolled his window down to make himself heard better.

            When Jeremy finally got Will in the car, he looked over at the shouting man.

            “Excuse me, sir?! Do you mind moving your car so we can get out?” he asked politely, not wanting to anger the man further.

            “I don’t take orders from homos!”

            Jeremy sighed.

            “Sir, please. I don’t want to call the police. Just let me and my boyfriend go.”

            “Are you trying to threaten me fag? Go ahead! My son is on the force!”

            “Get the hell out of the way before I do something my boyfriend will regret,” Will said, stepping out of the car and taking a broad stance beside Jeremy.

            “Don’t you mean something YOU will regret?” Jeremy mumbled.

            “No,” Will replied quietly.

            “I’m not taking this from a guy who fucks other guys’ assholes!” the man yelled.

            “Will…,” Jeremy said in concern.

            “Don’t worry, Jeremy,” Will said darkly. That did not make Jeremy feel the slightest bit better.

            The man stepped out of his car and charged forward. Will pulled Jeremy behind him and stood his ground. Jeremy gulped and eyed the two nervously.

            A punch was thrown by the man. Jeremy didn’t even see Will’s hand come up when he grabbed the man’s oncoming fist. The man’s eyes shot up in surprise. Upon closer observation, Jeremy could see that the man was a foot shorter than Will, and a great deal scrawnier.

            “This isn’t a suggestion. Get out of our way so we can leave. NOW,” Will said coldly. The look in his eyes sent a chill down Jeremy’s spine. It must have given their attacker the same feeling, because his face turned pale and he visibly flinched. He backed away quickly and ran back to his car, speeding out of the parking lot.

            “Let’s go Jeremy,” Will said, climbing into the driver’s side. Jeremy nodded and headed into the passenger’s side.

            As they drove to Jeremy’s house, Jeremy looked at Will’s side profile in awe. Will glanced at him in confusion.

            “What’s with that look?” he asked.

            “I’m seriously hot for you right now,” Jeremy said blandly. Will rolled his eyes.

            “I’ve been taking self-defense classes since I was eight. I’ve seen teenage girls scarier than that guy,” he said. Jeremy thought of Chloe and Madeline. Yeah, he could relate.

            “What haven’t you done? You’ve taken piano, fencing, tennis, polo, rugby, equestrian sports, and now self-defense? Anything else I need to know?” Jeremy asked teasingly.

            Will looked at him and shook his head, ignoring his boyfriend. Jeremy chuckled at his lack of humor. Jeremy’s inner Michael was rolling his eyes at Jeremy’s infatuation with the stoic teen.

            When they made it to his house, Jeremy got out of the car and took half of the groceries out of the backseat. Grabbing the other half, Will followed him to the door. Jeremy grabbed his keys from his jacket pocket and opened the door to his empty house. His dad was at work until later that night, leaving the two alone for a at least a few hours.

            Jeremy led Will into the kitchen and they set the groceries down on the counter. Will looked around the kitchen with interest. Jeremy had forgotten that he had only been there once, and it was to throw out his wardrobe. There really had not been anytime to give him a tour, or more like Jeremy didn’t think Will particularly cared about the layout of his house back then.

            “Well…it’s no Squip mansion, but it’s home,” Jeremy said jokingly. “Let me show you around,” he said, grabbing a hold of Will’s hand.

            Will nodded and allowed Jeremy to show him around the house.

           

           

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back! Thank you for the well wishes and understanding, it means a lot. I've been doing well, and took a break from writing for a little while, but I'm back now! Since it has been a while, I wrote up two chapters. It was originally meant to be one, but I separated it into two when I saw how long it would be. I try to make my chapters around the same length, so my OCD kicked in and I cut it into two. I hope you enjoyed the fluff! 
> 
> P.S. I feel like I rushed the Pinkberry, but after the Rich/Michael side story, I wanted to focus more on Jeremy/Will. I hope you liked the Pinkberry anyway though. I'm about to get more into angst with our main couple, so I didn't want to overload the angst anymore than necessary.


	23. First Date Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date continues, and the boys have a serious conversation about mothers.

 

As Jeremy showed Will his house, Jeremy noticed the vacant look in his boyfriend’s eyes. When they were done, Jeremy led him back down to the kitchen to get started on their dinner. Will looked at him in surprise when Jeremy handed him a pot.

            “Can you put water in this please?” he asked, turning around to take their food out of the plastic sacks. Jeremy heard the water run behind him as Will did as he asked.

            “What do you want me to do with it?” he heard Will ask behind him.

            “You can put it on the stove,” Jeremy said.

            After he organized their groceries, Jeremy got out another pot and warmed up the stove on two separate burners, one for the spaghetti, and the other for the sauce. Jeremy refused to eat sauce from the can, he was going to make it from scratch as he usually did. Will had looked at him in surprise, but had said nothing.

            “Can you toss the salad for me?” Jeremy asked, putting the ingredients in front of his nervous-looking boyfriend. Will gave a hesitant nod and tore open the bag of lettuce, pouring it sloppily into the bowl Jeremy gave him. Jeremy watched him in his peripheral as he carefully cut the vegetables for the sauce. When he was satisfied that Will had the hang of tossing the salad, he put his full attention to the butcher knife he was currently using on the vegetables in front of him. He cut the cucumbers for the salad and pushed them closer for Will to put in the salad, then he moved on the tomatoes, fresh oregano, and fresh garlic.

            He put the tomatoes on a simmer and check on the noodles, then turned to check on a quiet Will. Jeremy almost laughed aloud as he saw Will glaring down at the bowl below him. He looked to see most of the salad around the bowl instead of in it, and the cucumbers were in disarray around him. Jeremy bent down and picked a slice of cucumber off the floor, popping it in his mouth. Five second rule.

            “Here, let me,” Jeremy said, picking up the lettuce and cucumber slices and putting it in the bowl. Will stepped back and watched him intently. After getting most of the contents back together, Jeremy reached over to grab some tomato chunks and threw them in the bowl, then proceeded to toss the salad with a couple of spoons. Afterwards, he drizzled some Italian dressing on top, finishing the salad.

            Jeremy looked over to see Will looking at him strangely.

            “What?” he asked.

            “How did you do that?” Will asked in confusion.

            “I taught myself I guess. When my mom was around she wasn’t much of a cook, and my dad is usually working, so I took up the gauntlet as house cook,” he replied.

            “I see,” he said quietly.

            Jeremy nodded and turned around to finish the sauce. He slid the chopped vegetables into the simmering pan and stirred. Will walked up beside to watch his actions. The concentrated look on his face was cute. It made Jeremy curve his mouth into a small smile.

            “Want to check it for poison?” Jeremy asked. Will frowned.

            “I watched you make it, there isn’t any poison in it,” he said matter-of-factly. Jeremy began to laugh, causing the taller boy’s frown to deepen.

            “Hahaha! No! Figure of speech. Usually that’s what people say when they want to try something before it’s on the plate. They use ‘checking for poison’ as an excuse to taste it ahead of time before the actual meal. What I meant was, do you want to check to see if the taste is right?” Jeremy explained.

            “Oh…sure,” Will said, blushing slightly.

            Jeremy smiled and scooped up a spoonful of sauce and held it towards Will’s mouth. Will’s blush deepened as he opened his mouth as Jeremy put the spoon in. Will’s eyes widened as he consumed the sauce.

            “Does it need anything else?” Jeremy asked.

            “No, it’s perfect actually,” he said sounding surprised.

            “You sound like you’re shocked. You were questioning my cooking abilities, weren’t you?” Jeremy asked, shaking the spoon in Will’s face.

            “No. I’m just…a picky eater. I don’t like most things put in front of me,” he said, looking down at the sauce skeptically.

            “Huh. I thought it had more to do with you being a health freak,” Jeremy said.

            “A freak?” Will said, looking down at Jeremy. “Thanks,” he said dryly.

            “Yep,” Jeremy replied, popping the ‘p’. Jeremy checked on the noodles, and seeing that they were done, began to prepare plates. Will took a couple of bowls from Jeremy and began to carefully scoop salad into them. Jeremy chuckled at the intense look his boyfriend gave as he focused on not dropping any of the salad as he transferred it from bowl to bowl.

            After the table was set, Jeremy poured water into a couple of glasses and sat down with Will. They quietly ate for a few minutes in comfortable silence. Jeremy assumed Will liked the food judging by his plate being almost empty. As he looked at the food, a thought occurred to him.

            “So, what’s up with the pistachio ice cream?” he asked curiously.

            “What do you mean?” Will asked as he took a bite of salad.

            “I mean…ever since we met you’ve been health-conscious and into eating healthy. I’ve never seen you eat anything that contains a large amount of sugar. Now you’re recommending ice cream, so I’m just curious about why?”

            Will looked to be deep in thought, then shrugged.

            “I don’t know. I was just in the mood for it,” he replied. When he saw Jeremy’s look of disbelief, he cast his gaze down.

            “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said quietly as he took a bite of spaghetti. Jeremy frowned, but let it be. A thought then occurred to him. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly to ease his nerves.

            “Y’know…my mom left us this day last year,” Jeremy said. Will looked up at him, a concerned look in his eyes.

            “Sorry…I wouldn’t have picked today if I would’ve known,” Will apologized. Jeremy was sure this was the first time Will had ever apologized to anyone, considering the way he was squirming in his seat.

            “It’s fine. I have better memories of today’s date. They override those of last year at this time,” Jeremy said with a small smile that quickly faded.

            “She didn’t say anything that morning,” he continued. “Everything the night before was normal. I came home from school, did my homework, we ate pizza together, then we went to bed. The next morning, she told me ‘bye’ like normal, she even kissed my dad when he left for work, then when we got back that day, she was gone. Every trace of her had disappeared. Her clothes, shoes, makeup, toothbrush, everything was gone. The only thing she left was a note on laying on this table,” Jeremy said, pointing towards the middle of the table they were currently sitting at.

“My dad didn’t say a word, just read it and went to bed. He didn’t leave their room for three days. It was terrifying. My parents had been married for twenty years, my dad was in complete shock. I didn’t know what to do except go about as normal. I got up, went to school, ate what I could find in the fridge, tried to get my dad to eat, gave up, then went to bed. It turned into a vicious cycle…I finally found the note in their bedside table. It just said she had found someone new, and she didn’t love him the same way she did when they first got married. She didn’t mention me in the letter even once. It was like she didn’t care that she left her son too. I guess I wasn’t as important to her as I thought. She hasn’t called either. We haven’t even gotten a postcard from her,” he finished softly while wiping the pool of tears in his eyes. Talking about what happened for the first time sucked. He hadn’t even told any of that to Michael or Christine.

            “Pistachio ice cream is the only thing I remember eating with my mom,” Will said quietly. Jeremy looked up at him in surprise, but said nothing in reply because he was scared that Will would quit talking if he interrupted.

            “She died when I was six…she got really sick. It was cancer. The only solid thing I remember about her is when we snuck pistachio ice cream behind my dad’s back and ate it together. I don’t think she was anything like my father. I guess they were a marriage of convenience. I doubt they would have been together otherwise,” he said as he stared at his hands.

            “The only memory of her voice I have is her telling me how chocolate syrup made everything taste better. I also remember her smiling a lot, even before she died. She was holding my hand smiling, and then she was gone,” Will said, clasping his hands together tightly. Jeremy reached over and put a hand over them in comfort.

“My father didn’t have anything to do with me when I was young, it was only when I reached thirteen that he started to spend time with me. He put me under his apprenticeship at the company, and things have been the same ever since,” Will finished.

“When did the abuse start?” Jeremy bravely asked as he lightly squeezed his clasped hands.

“I interrupted him when he was speaking. I was eight. I was on winter break, and he happened to be home for once. I told my teacher I ran into the doorway at school when she saw the black eye,” Will admitted. Jeremy looked at him in horror as he squeezed the other boy’s hands more tightly

“Tell me more about your mom,” Jeremy asked, trying to change the subject. He might say something he might regret if they continued talking about Will’s father. Will looked at him in surprise, but furrowed his brows in concentration as he attempted to remember.

“She had curly black hair and hazel eyes, they changed colors a lot. They would turn from gold to green to light brown to dark blue. They were beautiful. She had a funny laugh. It was kind of like yours. When she thought something was really funny, she would snort,” he said chuckling. Jeremy blushed, but continued to listen.

“Her snoring was awful too. I remember waking up and telling her it sounded like an earthquake,” he said smiling.

“So that’s where you get it from!” Jeremy said. That explained the reason for Will’s sonorous snoring.

“I do NOT snore,” Will said adamantly. Jeremy shook his head.

“Oh, but you do. It’s really loud too. You also keep your mouth open and drool!”

“Jeremy, that is completely ridiculous! I don’t do any of that. If you’re trying to joke, it isn’t funny,” Will said defensively.

“Whatever you say…,” Jeremy shrugged. Will glared at him.

“Keep talking about your mom. She sounds nice,” Jeremy said, keeping the conversation on track. Will rolled his eyes, but continued.

“She had a pretty smile. Here, I’ll show you,” he said as he pulled his billfold out of his back pocket. He opened it up and pulled out a picture and handed it to Jeremy.

Jeremy looked to see a beautiful woman in a dark green dress smiling back at him. Her hair was as wild as Jeremy’s had once looked. The black ringlets stuck out in every direction and cascaded down past her shoulders, though it didn’t look like she cared. The dress made the gold in her eyes more prominent, there was kindness in those eyes. Jeremy noticed her abdomen curved softly outward, her hand falling across it gently.

“She was pregnant with you in this picture,” he stated.

“Yeah. She was a few months along by then,” he replied.

“She looks happy,” Jeremy said with a smile.

“I like to think she was,” Will said with a smile of his own.

“She would have been proud of you, y’know?” Jeremy said.

“I don’t know, maybe she would have,” Will replied, his smile fading slowly.

“You’re kidding, right? You work harder than anyone else I know. You go to school, take college classes on top of that, do lead projects for the company, and so much more! Why wouldn’t she have been proud of you?” Jeremy asked.

Will looked down at his empty dishes quietly. When he didn’t respond, Jeremy gave a loud sigh.

“You’re still thinking about what your father says, huh? Say it with me,” Jeremy commanded. The corners of his mouth pointed up slightly, though he looked mainly exasperated.

“Everything about you is so wonderful.”

“Everything about me is so wonderful.”

            “Everything about you makes me feel alive.”

            “Everything about me makes you feel alive.”

            “Everything about you charms.”

            “Everything about me charms.”

            “All the people around you think you’re amazing,” he finished.

            “All the people around me think I’m amazing,” Will finished with him.

            “That’s right, and don’t you forget it!” Jeremy exclaimed, squeezing Will’s hands again with his own.

            “Thanks,” Will murmured, leaning over.

            “You’re welcome,” Jeremy said, meeting him halfway so their lips would press together.

            Jeremy considered this a successful first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! I wanted to add in a chapter or two about their time as a couple before I went into another angst situation. I hope y'all liked the chapter! :)


	24. The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy spends some time in Will's world.

            “Remember to say as little as possible. Don’t interrupt him. Let him speak first. Keep eye contact, like you aren't even scared of your own death. Listen to everything he says with intense concentration. AND act as naïve as possible. We want him to think you are easy to manipulate,” Will repeated for the fifth time that night.

            Will tightened the Windsor knot on Jeremy’s dark blue tie and brushed off the nonexistent lent on his black suite. It took a couple of weeks, but Will had finally convinced Jeremy to let him buy him an expensive Armani suite from the city. Even though he let him buy the suite, Jeremy had every intention of sending it back after he used it.

            Tonight was the night of the Squip Quantum Enterprise’s charity ball. All of the company’s top business elites would be attending, including the CEO, Mr. Roland Squip. If all went well tonight, Will would be in the clear to inherit the company in the near future. Jeremy was determined to play his part well.

            The two were currently in a hotel suite that Will had paid for the duration of their stay in the city. Jeremy had tried to convince Michael and Christine to attend, as the promise he had originally given Will dictated, but both teens had refused to go. Michael, because of his anxiety, and Christine because her family was going to be out of town that weekend.

 So, Jeremy was here to support Will on his own, which was fine considering he would be his boyfriend’s unofficial date. He also got the opportunity to have a handsome, suite and tie wearing Will all to himself. The dark suite and black tie with slicked back hair really got Jeremy excited for later tonight. He was more than happy to be with Will, especially since his stoic boyfriend would be sober this time. They hadn’t been intimate since the night of the party, both agreeing to take things slow, but after dating for a month and a half, Jeremy was ready. He just hoped Will was too. Jeremy would worry about that later after this fiasco was over, because now he had to act like he was Will’s new, easy to manipulate best friend.

            Will didn’t have to tell Jeremy that he wasn’t going to act like ‘his boyfriend Will’, but ‘cold, calculating Will’ that he had first met a few months ago. Jeremy would act like the perfect ‘yes man’ that Will needed for tonight, but that would be the end of it. He already didn’t like the fact he would be pretending to be someone he wasn’t tonight, but doing it any longer would make him feel terrible.

            Jeremy gave him an exasperated expression. “I know, I know…you’ve told me all that plenty of times already. I won’t do anything out of line, okay? Just don’t expect me to continue to be like that after this party,” he said, brushing a stray curl out of Will’s face.

            Will looked at him tiredly. “Yeah, I know. I don’t want you any other way than how you are now,” he said, placing a hand against Jeremy’s cheek. “I wouldn’t ask you to pretend now if it wasn’t for the fact that he would find a way to ruin you and your father’s lives financially and socially.”

            “Those are very comforting words William, thank you,” Jeremy said dryly. Will chuckled and wrapped Jeremy in a tight embrace. Jeremy smiled and returned it. They had been more open with one another for the past month after their first date. They had gone on a few more since then, and Jeremy finally relented and let Will take him on an expensive date in New York. It wasn’t as bad as Jeremy thought, but Will didn’t let him look at any of the receipts either.

And since Madeline had outed them to the school, they could now hold hands in public, which was all they did. Jeremy and Will were both too uncomfortable to do anything else in public, unlike their friends who hugged and kissed openly. They were both content with their relationship though, and that was all that mattered.

            They were hugging for about a minute when there was a knock on the door. They both quickly separated and straightened their clothes before Will opened the door. A large, middle-aged man in a dark gray suite stood at the door. The guy looked like he could snap someone like Jeremy in half if he wanted to. His back was ramrod straight and he eyed Will calmly with light brown eyes. Will tensed in front of Jeremy.

            “Max, it’s good to see you again,” he said with a slight tilt of his head.

            “It’s a pleasure Mr. William. Your father has sent me to come collect you and your…,” the man looked Jeremy up and down slowly, who worked on acting as oblivious as possible. “…friend,” he finished. Jeremy couldn’t tell what the man thought of him.

            “I see, we will be with him shortly,” Will replied. A thought occurred to Jeremy.

            “Hey Will! We don’t want to keep your dad waiting! He is an important man after all,” Jeremy said with a happy-go-lucky smile and clapped Will on the back. “I’ve been anxious to the guy who owns all that money you spend!”

            Jeremy felt like a sleaze mentioning Will’s wealth so blatantly, but that was point. Will looked down at him coldly.

            “You’re right…let’s go then,” he said stiffly.

            The man called Max turned, leaving an opening for Will to give Jeremy a discrete thumbs-up before following him. Jeremy suppressed a smile and followed behind Will.

            They walked down the pristine hallways and got into the elevator. Max pressed the top most button and the doors closed. The ride up to the penthouse was silent. Jeremy kept his expression oblivious and bobbed his head to the elevator music. The elevator dinged and the three walked out. Jeremy kept himself behind Will at all times.

            _“Those who walk behind are acknowledging that they are weaker in status than those in front.”_ Will had once told him that, though they normally walked side by side with their hands clasped now-a-days. Jeremy assumed that meant they were equal, and he was perfectly content with that.

            Max opened the wooden double doors in front of them and walked through. Jeremy followed Will and Max into the penthouse suite. He did his best to ogle at his surroundings like the oblivious, greedy friend who had nothing to lose he was supposed to be. Though the ogling didn’t take too much effort since he had never been in a hotel room this fancy before.

            The man standing beside a big wooden desk looked up. Jeremy’s eyes widened at how much Will resembled his father. They had the same build, facial features, and eye color. The only thing different was that the man in front of him had short, slicked back light brown hair with gray streaks coursing through it. Jeremy was pretty sure this was how Will would look when he got older.

            The man’s eyes were cold, just like Will’s had been when they first met. Jeremy sincerely hoped that Will didn’t have that look in his eyes when he did get to that age. Now that he knew what Will’s eyes looked like when he was happy, sad, lustful, contemplative, and so many other emotions, he didn’t want to see that look of indifference ever again. Max turned and left the room, shutting the doors behind him as he went.

            The man stood erect and placed his hands behind his back. “It’s a pleasure to see you again William. I assume you have been completing your studies and work accordingly?” he asked. Jeremy didn’t know a parent could sound so neutral when asking their kid how school had been going.

            “It is a pleasure to see you too father. School has been going smoothly. My grades have been consistent, and the Murphy account has been…,” Will rambled on about his company projects in quick succession. It felt more like an interview than a father and son meeting again for the first time in months.

            “I see. I’m glad things are proceeding as planned,” Mr. Squip said, then turned his attention to Jeremy. The lanky teen straightened up and waited to speak as Will had instructed.

            “This must be your new friend that you told me about,” he said in a jovial tone. It sounded fake to Jeremy’s ears as he observed the calculating look in the man’s eyes.

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you…?” his voice faded in a silent question. Jeremy was sure the man knew his name. Best to keep up appearances, right?

            “Jeremiah Heere, sir. It is an honor to meet you,” Jeremy greeted while extending his hand towards him.

            _“Initiate the handshake first to those higher in status than you. It shows you want their approval and are trying to elevate your status. You are expending the energy to make first contact with someone greater than you, it shows both submission and initiative.”_ Jeremy heard Will’s words come back to him as Mr. Squip took his hand in a firm handshake that Jeremy returned.

            “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard varying things about Will’s new school life. It was a new experience for him, going to a public school. I didn’t know how it would affect him,” he said, looking over at Will. Will gave a nod, but said nothing else.

            _“Let the one higher in status decide when to let go of the handshake. It shows them they have the power in the relationship,”_ Will said in his head.

            Mr. Squip finally let go, and Jeremy did the same. He looked over at Jeremy approvingly and turned his back to them. Will gave him a side glance of relief before looking back coolly at his father.

            “So, Jeremiah, what do your parents do for a living?” he asked turning back around to stare at Jeremy, looking him up and down with the same calculating look from before.

            “My parents separated last year, but before she left, my mother was a realtor. My dad works for a construction company. He is one of the head managers at one of their local offices,” Jeremy answered. His parents hadn’t been the richest on the block, but they had made decent for a middle-class family. Since his dad had started back to work, they were doing just as fine as before the separation.

            “I see, it’s good to see they are in the workforce. We have too many people living off the government now,” Mr. Squip said. Jeremy said nothing in response, only nodded in agreement, though he had a few points he would have liked to have made. However, he refrained.

            “Well…it was good to meet you. It was nice to see you too William. Go and have a great time at the ball, but don’t forget to greet the board,” Mr. Squip finished, dismissing them.

            “Yes sir,” Will said, turning towards the open door that Max was holding open. How the guy knew they were done with their conversation, Jeremy didn’t have a clue.

            Jeremy followed Will out of the room and into the elevator. Max stood outside of the doors and pushed the down button for them. When the doors closed, and the elevator began to descend, Jeremy let out a big gust of air.

            “Oh my God…that was intense,” he quietly stated, paranoid that Max or Roland Squip would be able to hear him from above somehow.

            “No shit,” Will responded, looking worn out himself. “He does approve of you though. You played your part well,” he complimented. Jeremy gave a mirthless laugh.

            “I guess that is a good thing for right now. Who was that Max guy?” he asked.

            “My father’s bodyguard. He usually never leaves his side when my father is traveling. They are supposed to be leaving for Tokyo tomorrow morning,” Will answered. Jeremy still couldn’t wrap his mind around the extent of their company’s influence. Jeremy would love to see places like Tokyo one day, not that he would voice that aloud to his rich boyfriend. If he told him that, Jeremy would wake up the next morning with two round-trip tickets to Japan no questions asked.

            When they hit the ballroom’s floor, they both stepped out and headed towards the direction where orchestra music was emitting from. Jeremy, finally feeling safe, took his place beside Will as they entered the room.

            “Keep by my side at all times,” Will muttered next to him. Jeremy slightly nodded. He was honestly too intimidated by the grandeur of the room and the expensive clothes everyone was wearing to leave his boyfriend’s side. Jeremy saw Mr. Squip talking to a group of men in the middle of the room. The man had a pleasant, open expression on his face. So that’s where Will got his deceptive nice face from.

            As they walked along the people in the room towards the bar, Will greeted and conversed with many different people with his ‘pretend charming’ expression. He introduced Jeremy to everyone as well, though Jeremy was confident he wouldn’t remember any of their names. That was fine though, it wasn’t like he would meet them again anyway.

            Jeremy was introduced to multiple different men and women, young and old. They all gave him pleasant, fake smiles as he passed them. He would have been more insulted if they weren’t giving everyone else around them the same look. How did these people live in a world where they couldn’t even be themselves and give a genuine smile? It already exhausted Jeremy, and it had only been an hour since he had met Mr. Squip and the rest of these important people.

            When they finally made it to the bar, Jeremy was thirsty beyond belief after talking and smiling at so many people.

            “Scotch?” the bartender asked him. Jeremy shook his head.

            “Just water is fine,” he said. The man nodded in understanding and produced a cold glass of ice water. Jeremy thanked the man and sat on the bar stool to enjoy his drink. Will was a few steps away talking to a group of older Japanese men about their latest product line. Jeremy had politely excused himself to take a break. He did not know how Will did it. Practice and years of experience more than likely.

            Jeremy watched Will in his peripheral. Jeremy had no idea how he was dating a handsome guy like that. He was way out of Jeremy’s league, but still chose him despite that. Will had told Jeremy that he liked his normalness, and confided that he was slightly jealous of Jeremy’s home and life.

            _“Don’t take this the wrong way, but your life is just so simple. I wish I could relate to people my own age better like you can. I feel like I’m performing on a stage sometimes just to earn my father’s approval. These past few months have been nice. I’ve had the chance to act my age and just be…a teenager.”_

Jeremy was shaken from listening to his inner Will when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see a handsome man sitting beside him. Jeremy frowned. The guy looked familiar for some reason, he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

            The man had curious light green eyes and perfectly coiffed light brown hair. His features were almost as symmetrical and straight as Will’s. He had a slightly bigger jaw than Will, not as soft and more chiseled. He had a husky build and wore a dark black suite with a dark green tie, making his eyes more noticeable. Jeremy didn’t understand why these people had to be both rich AND good-looking?

            “I’m sorry. You look like you don’t want to be disturbed,” he said apologetically in a smooth, cultured voice. Jeremy shook his head and put on a small smile.

            “No, don’t worry about it. You just looked familiar to me, though I don’t know how,” Jeremy said.

            “Really? I wonder why?” the man said as he sipped on his gin and tonic.

            “I’m not for sure…were you trying to ask me something?” Jeremy asked politely.

            “Yes, I saw you arrive with William Squip. I was wondering if he was a friend of yours?” the man asked curiously.

            “Yeah, we met in Jersey a few months ago and hit it off,” Jeremy answered vaguely.

            “Jersey? What on earth was William doing there?” he asked in surprise.

            “It was something his father wanted him to do for the company. We met by chance at school,” Jeremy said, trying to keep as much detail out as possible.

            “I see…that’s interesting. Usually William has a hard time making friends. He’s very serious and straight-laced, so people are often intimidated by him,” he said, taking another sip of his drink.

            “I can understand that, but he grows on you once you get to know him,” Jeremy answered honestly, looking over at Will who was still in a deep conversation with the group of businessmen.

            “I’m glad to see him branching out,” he said. “Oh, I’m sorry! How rude of me, my name is Winston Cook. My father is an investor of Mr. Squip’s company. I also happen to be William’s cousin,” he informed Jeremy.

            Jeremy looked at the boy in surprise. Now knowing that, he could see some slight similarities in Winston’s features that lined up with Will’s.

            “That explains why I thought I’ve seen you somewhere before. You resemble Will a little bit,” Jeremy said. The man’s jaw tensed, as if he was gritting his teeth. His eyes turned dark and his brow furrowed. Jeremy frowned in confusion. What had he said?

            Winston’s face turned happy again just as quickly as the other face had turned…angry? Jeremy didn’t know, but he was now uncomfortable.

            “Are you okay?” Jeremy asked in concern.

            “I’m fine! I was just surprised you noticed. People normally can’t spot the similarities,” he said jovially, though Jeremy felt like he was forcing himself. Jeremy opened his mouth to say something when a cold voice spoke from behind him.

            “Jeremy, there you are. I’ve been looking for you,” Will said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He squeezed it tightly, causing Jeremy to wince.

            “I’ve seen you’ve met my cousin. Win, how are you?” he asked icily.

            “I’m doing well. I was chatting with your friend…Jeremy here,” he said happily, though his eyes turned hard as he gazed at Will.

            “That’s right. I’m Jeremy Heere, H-E-E-R-E,” Jeremy said lightly, trying to diffuse the tension between the two.

            “Clever!” Winston laughed. “Well, I’d better be going. I have to go greet some of father’s other clients. It was nice to meet you Jeremy H-E-E-R-E. Always a pleasure Will,” he said chuckling, waving goodbye. Jeremy waved back and turned to look at Will.

            “What was that about?” he muttered.

            “I thought I told you to stay by my side tonight?” Will responded with a glare.

            “I was a few feet away from you. I just wanted to get some water,” Jeremy said quietly, not wanting to cause a scene.

            “Just stay a foot away from me at all times, and don’t talk to that guy again,” he commanded.

            “Why?” Jeremy asked in confusion. Will looked at him in exasperation.

            “Don’t worry about it for now, just stay close,” he said.

            Jeremy nodded, and stayed quiet, much to Will’s relief he was sure. He wouldn’t stay silent for long. As soon as they were alone, he was going to get some answers whether Will liked it or not. Jeremy would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, a new intro to a new mystery/dilemma. Buckle your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Hope you like the new chapter! School is starting back up this week, so I won't get to update as often, though I will still be writing, I just won't finish chapters as quickly. Anways, enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I know I'm making sweaty, nervous Jeremy a good actor, but remember, he was pretty good at it in the play when he was with the Squip long enough. Jeremy has been with Will for a few months now, so he's bound to have picked up on some habits and quirks of Will's. If Will is showing more emotion (Thanks to Jeremy), then Will is showing Jeremy how to be more confident in his own skin. That includes knowing now how to manipulate and be more charismatic. Hey, I didn't say they were 'good' habits and quirks necessarily. Oh well, he'll always use his new-found powers for good.


	25. A Hot Night and a Breakfast Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Jeremy have some 'fun', and Jeremy has a cosmopolitan breakfast! Ooo la la!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Smut ahoy! Scroll down to the horizontal line if you don't like it! Otherwise, enjoy!

 

The door to the hotel room opened with a bang as both boys stumbled in. They slammed the door behind them and crashed into the wall. Will pinned Jeremy’s body against his and began to give him open-mouth kisses all over his neck. Jeremy groaned at the close contact between them. It had been too long.

            Jeremy pulled at the back of Will’s suit jacket. Understanding what he wanted, Will unbuttoned his suit and slid the jacket off. Jeremy’s jacket followed behind his and they went back to their previous ministrations. Will continued to pepper kisses along Jeremy’s neck as Jeremy worked on unbuttoning their pants. When he finally completed his task, Jeremy pulled his down and pulled Will’s down as well. They both kicked their individual pants away and Will began to grind his hips against Jeremy’s.

            “Ah!” Jeremy moaned at the friction. He felt himself hardening as they quickened their pace. Jeremy felt Will’s hard-on against his own and gasped at the feeling. Will grunted in his ear as he picked Jeremy up and carried him to the bed. Jeremy crossed his legs around Will’s waist and gasped in surprise. His grip around Will tightened as they collapsed on the bed together.

            Will moved from Jeremy’s neck to his lips. Slowly, Jeremy slipped his tongue into Will’s mouth, and the only sound in the room that could be heard was their wet lips and occasional gasps. Jeremy raked his hands through Will’s hair as Will did the same, gently tugging the curls. Jeremy groaned in response to the stimulation and ground against Will’s hips a little bit harder.

            “Shit…,” Will muttered against their lips as he reciprocated the thrusts with his own. Jeremy gave another gasp in response.

            Apparently, Will didn’t think they were going fast enough. He grabbed Jeremy’s hands and unclasped them from his neck, then separated himself from him. Jeremy gave a whimper of protest, but opened his eyes in shock as Will grabbed the top of his white button-down shirt and tore it open. The buttons flew in different directions, but Jeremy didn’t have too much time to process this as Will rose him up and slid the shirt off him, revealing his pale torso.

            “Will! That was expensive!” Jeremy admonished. Will rolled his eyes.

            “I think we’ve been over this before. I’ll buy you another ten of those if it makes you feel better,” Will said before taking an erect nipple in his mouth. Jeremy took a sudden intake of breath and couldn’t find it in himself to comment.

            “Fuck!” Jeremy ground out as Will bit down gently.

            Unthinkingly, Jeremy frantically grabbed at Will’s button-up and ripped it open, revealing the lean, six pack that Jeremy had only dreamed about for the past couple of months. Jeremy caressed the torso up and down slowly, feeling the muscles twitch underneath his touch.

            “You owe me a new shirt. It was expensive,” Will muttered against his chest as he moved his lips across it, leaving light purple bruises behind.

            “Oh, shut up,” Jeremy muttered in response as he slid the shirt off Will’s back and threw it across the room. This left them both in their underwear as they had discarded the rest right after entering the room. Jeremy caressed Will’s back as he got lower and lower, eventually reaching his black boxers. With his teeth, he grabbed the waistline and tugged down, allowing Jeremy’s hardened member to break free. Will continued to tug the underwear down with his teeth until he completely removed them from Jeremy’s body. He threw his head to the side and tossed them on the floor.

            “How primal,” Jeremy teased. Will shook his head and chuckled as he engulfed Jeremy’s member with his mouth.

            “Oh!” Jeremy moaned and arched his back. He felt a pleasant sensation course up his spine, causing him to shudder in response as Will began to suck vigorously. It wasn’t too much longer that Jeremy felt his abdomen begin to tighten, and he felt the familiar onset of an intense orgasm.

            “Will…ah…stop…I don’t…wanna cum…yet!” he spit out. Will reluctantly stopped and pulled his mouth off Jeremy’s aching member.

            “How do you want to cum?” he asked while caressing the inside of Jeremy’s leg.

            “I want to suck you first,” Jeremy said, finally catching his breath. Will looked at him in surprise, but nodded.

            They switched places and Jeremy pulled down Will’s navy-blue briefs with his hands. Not as sexy as Will’s show from earlier, but it got the job done. Will’s dick sprang free in front of Jeremy’s face, it suddenly looked a lot bigger up close. Jeremy swallowed nervously. He suddenly felt intimidated, since he had never done this before. Jeremy was going to have to use all his porn experience for this one.

            Licking his lips, he took the tip in his mouth and experimentally sucked. Will gave a gasp above him, shifting his gaze up, Jeremy saw Will staring down at him with his mouth slightly parted. Looking back down, Jeremy took a little more of Will’s length in his mouth. He sucked down a little at a time, relaxing his throat as he did so. Jeremy didn’t think he would be able to take the whole thing, but he grabbed onto the rest of the shaft with his hand and began to stroke while he bobbed his head back and forth slowly.

            “Oh God!” Will threw his head back and rolled his eyes back into his head. Jeremy figured he was doing a good job to illicit that reaction.

            Quickening his pace, Jeremy caressed Will’s sack slowly as he sucked and licked, careful not to touch Will with his teeth. Will groaned and muttered obscenities underneath his breath as Jeremy continued his ministrations. It wasn’t until Jeremy felt the twitch of Will’s shaft and the hardening of his balls that Will grabbed Jeremy’s head and pulled him off. Jeremy released Will with a wet pop, a trail of saliva still connecting the tip of the shaft and Jeremy’s mouth.

            Jeremy looked up at Will questioningly. Will moved his hand down and wiped the spit from Jeremy’s mouth with his thumb.

            “I want to fuck you,” Will said hoarsely. Jeremy gulped and nodded, moving up from Will’s waist to laying right beside him. Will rose up and took position in between Jeremy’s legs. Jeremy spread himself to accommodate him. Will brought up his pointer and middle finger to Jeremy’s mouth.

            “Suck,” he commanded. Jeremy opened his mouth and took the fingers in his mouth and began to suck vigorously on them. Will watched him in fascination as he focused on the connection between Jeremy’s mouth and his fingers. Jeremy could feel Will’s member twitching against his leg.

            Will removed his fingers from Jeremy’s mouth and placed them between Jeremy’s legs. Jeremy felt a pressure around his hole as Will massaged it with his saliva-coated fingers. Jeremy relaxed his body with a deep breath and accepted one of Will’s fingers. Will took a sudden intake of breath and massaged Jeremy’s insides, causing the other to groan at the sensation.

            It wasn’t long before he slipped his other finger inside, performing a scissoring motion soon after. Jeremy squirmed at the intrusion, but then he jolted as Will brushed against a sensitive spot inside him.

            “Holy shit!” Jeremy cried out as his whole body began to twitch. Will gave a small smile as he pushed the area again, and watched Jeremy whine and squirm. When he did it again, Jeremy was a wreck.

            “Stop torturing me! Just hurry up already!” Jeremy whined. Will kissed Jeremy’s cheek and removed his fingers. He then grabbed ahold of his shaft and eased the tip inside of Jeremy. Jeremy gave a mewl of pleasure at the feeling and wrapped his arms around Will’s neck. Will spread his legs a little and pressed inside of him more, grunting as he did so. Jeremy groaned some more as he felt the overwhelming sensation of being filled.

            When Will made it inside, Jeremy squirmed against his hips.

            “This feels so much better sober,” Will muttered over Jeremy’s face as he slowly thrusted in and out.

            “Mmmmm,” Jeremy intelligently replied as he enjoyed the pleasurable waves shooting throughout his body. He moved his hands from Will’s neck to his back, gripping it tightly in an effort to stay in position.

            “God, Jeremy. You feel so good. So tight,” Will muttered against Jeremy’s ear as he picked up the pace a little bit more. Jeremy mewled and cried out as the waves increased. At this rate, he would be cumming a lot sooner than he would like. He clenched down on Will, causing the other to groan loudly and slow down his thrusts.

            “I don’t want to cum yet!” he growled against Will’s shoulder. He felt his boyfriend shudder and nod. Will kept his pace slow and steady as he thrusted into Jeremy over and over again. Jeremy groaned in ecstasy as he felt the pressure in his lower abdomen build.

            “Faster! Harder!” he commanded. Will obliged as he increased his speed quickly.

            “Make up your mind!” he said, rising to put his arms on both sides of Jeremy’s head for leverage. Jeremy raked his fingers down Will’s back as the waves came with more frequency.

            “FUCK, Will!” Jeremy yelled as he felt himself explode. Will’s thrusts became more erratic. By the third rough thrust, Will gave a shout, and Jeremy felt a familiar dripping sensation occur between his legs.

            Will collapsed on top of Jeremy panting. Jeremy caressed Will’s back and felt ridges where it had once been smooth. Will was going to have visual evidence of this night. That thought made Jeremy feel smug, though he was sure he was covered from head to toe in hickeys.

            Pulling himself out of Jeremy, Will rolled to his side beside him. Jeremy looked over panting to see Will staring at him in awe.

            “What?” Jeremy asked. The ‘after’ part was sure to be interesting, because the last time they had done this Will had passed out and Jeremy had run out of the room as fast as he could.

            “Nothing…,” he said, grabbing the side of Jeremy’s head and giving him a quick kiss before getting out of bed. Jeremy gave him a frown. Will walked to the side of the bed Jeremy was laying on and scooped him up.

            “Hey!” Jeremy squeaked as Will carried him towards the bathroom. “What are you doing?!”

            “What does it look like? We’re going to take a bath. Sex is great, but afterwards is kind of gross,” he said. Jeremy looked at him like he had grown a second head, then rolled his eyes and latched on to his neck with both arms.

            “Fine, but be careful. I’m delicate,” he murmured. Will snorted and carried him into the bathroom as Jeremy smiled against Will’s shoulder.

* * *

 

            Jeremy walked along the breakfast table and observed the different dishes with delight. This cosmopolitan breakfast spread was quickly turning into Jeremy’s favorite thing about this ball so far, besides the sex. The sex would always come first, after spending quality time with Will of course. Which meant the sex would always come in second and Will would always be first. With that decided in his mind, Jeremy prepared his ham and cheese breakfast sandwich.

            “You look really excited about that sandwich,” a voice said beside him. Jeremy looked up to see Winston standing beside him holding his own plate of fruit and sunny-side-up eggs. Remembering what Will had told him, Jeremy shrugged.

            “Yeah, I’m not used to eating this all the time, so I am kind of excited I guess,” Jeremy answered, giving Winston a polite nod, and left him to go towards his and Will’s table. Will had been stopped by one of SQE’s California investors, he had let Jeremy go ahead and eat while he discussed business.

            Jeremy looked toward the doorway for his boyfriend, but was disappointed when he didn’t see him coming through yet. Setting his orange juice and meal before him, Jeremy began to dive into his sandwich when a plate was sat in what was supposed to be Will’s seat. Jeremy looked up to see Winston giving him a polite smile.

            “Mind if I sit with you?” he asked as he sat down. Jeremy frowned, but shrugged. Maybe if he kept the conversation vague and short, it wouldn’t be the same as talking to him?

            “Sure,” he responded curtly. Winston chuckled, and when Jeremy looked at him in confusion he smiled.

            “I see Will has told you to stay away from me. I’m not really a bad guy, he’s just paranoid because I’m in competition with him for the CEO position after his father retires,” Winston explained.

            Jeremy froze. “Wait. I thought it was already decided that Will would inherit? Since he is Mr. Squip’s only heir,” Jeremy inquired. Winston’s face tensed like it had the night before. What was up with this guy?

Jeremy had forgotten to ask Will about his beef with the man in front of him. They had both been kind of preoccupied last night though. There hadn’t been much time for asking about personal family feuds. This morning had included a round two, a shower together, and a rush down to breakfast before it closed. So, there still hadn’t been an opportunity to confront his secretive boyfriend about his family drama.

“Yes…well…it was decided that if Will was deemed not capable of handling the company after his completion of his postsecondary education, the company would fall to me instead, since I am of the proper age, and the son of Mr. Squip’s cousin. We like to keep the higher positions in the family,” he explained.

“I see…,” Jeremy said, taking another bite of his sandwich. No wonder Will had been so driven to make things work out with his father. Jeremy wouldn’t have put it beyond the man to have held this over Will’s head so he would do whatever he wanted.

“Would he really do that to his own son? I mean, and no offense to you or anything, but wouldn’t he want to choose his own heir over a nephew? I’m sorry if I seem dumb about this, but stuff like this goes beyond my social class,” Jeremy said bluntly. Winston looked at him in surprise, then gave a small, discrete smile. It reminded Jeremy of Will’s.

“No offense taken, but the question just proves that you don’t know my uncle that well. He has done far worse to the relatives in our family when he doesn’t get his way,” Winston said grimly. “I, however, believe Will has suffered the most at his hand,” he finished, taking a bite out of his apple.

Jeremy could only nod. He thought back to the story Will told him that night at Jake’s house. It made him shudder to think what else the man had coerced Will into doing in the past and even in the present. Jeremy could only think grim thoughts, and he didn’t feel as hungry as he once did suddenly.

“Is your friendship going to end with Will after finding out the truth?” Winston asked. Jeremy gave him a glare.

“No!” he said loudly, causing the other people around them to eye them warily. Jeremy shook his head to clear his angry thoughts. How dare this guy insinuate the only reason he was with Will was because of status and money! Then it hit Jeremy that that was what he was supposed to be acting like! If Mr. Squip caught wind of their relationship being anymore than what it appeared, it would be disastrous for Will.

“Sorry…I mean no, it won’t end,” Jeremy replied in a normal tone of voice. “Will has a lot more going for him than just status in a company, after all,” Jeremy said. The statement was true. Jeremy felt that there was much more to Will than money, status, and a handsome face. Jeremy would have fallen for him without any of that, and if he did happen to lose it all, he would still be there by his side. Jeremy hoped Winston, however, would take it the wrong way and assume he was insinuating about his wealth and family status.

Winston frowned at Jeremy for a minute, before snickering. Jeremy frowned in confusion.

“You two are going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to fool my uncle,” Winston said quietly. Jeremy looked at him in surprise.

“William has been glaring a hole into my forehead that past five minutes. I’m waiting on that developer who’s talking to him to take a hint that Will hasn’t even heard a word he said,” he said in amusement. “He’s very protective of you. I find it interesting since he has never taken an interest in anyone before. Tell me, is he interested in men now, or is it just a deep friendship that you share?” he asked.

“Wh-at?” Jeremy asked, feeling his throat dry up suddenly.

“It’s obvious you’re in love with him, but my question is, does he return the feeling?” Winston asked curiously.

Jeremy probably looked like a guppy as he opened and closed his mouth in shock. Him? In _love_ with Will? He was his boyfriend, and he liked him a lot, but _love_? It was too soon to tell if he was in love or not, wasn’t it? An emotion like that took time, and he had only known the guy for three months, and dating him for about half of that time!

 _Love? How ridiculous! Love…pfft…ah shit…I think…no…I…do. Holy shit! I’m in love with Will! Noooooo!_ Jeremy felt his face take on multiple different expression, much to the delight of his company who continued to stare at him with his chin resting in one hand.

“Figured it out now, huh?” Winston said lightly. Jeremy gave him another glare.

“Shut up…,” Jeremy said, sliding off his persona. Winston gave him a smirk.

“There you are! The real Jeremy Heere! Nice to officially meet you,” Winston said teasingly. Jeremy frowned and gave a sigh.

“Please, Mr. Cook, don’t let anyone know. I know we just met, but it’s not like I’ve told him or anything,” he said softly.

“Call me Win. Mr. Cook is my dad, and Winston just sounds like an old man’s name, which an old man did name me that, so there we go,” he said. “Don't be concerned. I don’t plan on outing you in the near future thank you very much!” Jeremy looked at him curiously.

“Whose side are you on? Are you nice, or not nice? I don’t get it,” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I’m on my own side Jeremy. I don’t work for anyone but myself. I just have to suck up to people sometimes to get what I want,” he said glibly. “Telling anyone of your secret feelings for my cousin won’t change anything for me. I’ll only store this information away unless I need it for some reason in the future. It’s not of any use to me now currently,” he explained.

“You are a strange guy, you know that?” Jeremy said bluntly, causing the other to laugh.

“So I’ve been told,” he responded with a smile. “I think I’m going to like you. Stay around for a while,” he said before getting up from the table. “It was a pleasure to talk to you again!” he said, waving his hand at Jeremy as he walked away. Jeremy raised his hand in reciprocation, then put it down.

Setting his head gently on the table, Jeremy silently groaned. Great…the only guy who knew Jeremy’s true feelings was a complete antihero weirdo…ugh. He felt a tap and on his shoulder and looked up to see Max looking down at him with a stern look. Jeremy flinched.

“Mr. Squip would like to speak with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Win is a weirdo, but he's my weirdo. He's also the type to stab you in the back if you aren't careful, but only if it benefits him in some way. He's a stinker like that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the steamy chapter, and are looking forwards to the next one! :D
> 
> P.S. I know I said I wasn't going to be able to update for a while, but we got a snow day! So I got the time to do it! Huzzah!


	26. The Bribe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy and Mr. Squip talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading, I have no problem with Redbank, NJ. I've never been there, but the photos I've seen look nice. Mr. Squip is just an ass. Any homophobic slurs are not my personal opinions (I didn't think to mention that in the First Date Part 1 chapter). Obviously they aren't, or I wouldn't be writing fics like this in the first place! :/ Anyway, enjoy!

 

Jeremy was currently standing in front of one of the most powerful men in the business world. He felt his face begin to turn red and sweat began to accumulate as his anxiety flared. When he had first met Will, he was intimidated, but being in Will’s father’s presence was ten times worse. Jeremy felt like he was going to turn into a puddle being in the same vicinity as the man.

            Mr. Squip turned towards Jeremy with an arched brow that reminded him strongly of Will. He had searched for Will as he had followed Max up to the penthouse, but couldn’t find him anywhere. Jeremy assumed he had gotten dragged into another work conversation with a colleague. He had felt brave when Will was with him before, but now that he was alone, he was all nerves.

            “Jeremiah, I wish it was a pleasure to see you again, but I have to say I’ve asked you up here because I’m unhappy. Can you guess why?” he asked coldly.

            “I can’t say that I can, sir,” Jeremy answered honestly. Mr. Squip sighed and grabbed a remote from his desk.

            “I’m unhappy Jeremiah because you and my son lied to me. I was under the distinct impression that you two were friends. I was told you two were friends, not anything more,” he said.

            “I don’t understand. We are friends,” Jeremy said, causing the man to shake his head.

            “I was hoping I didn’t have to use this, but apparently I do,” he said. Jeremy gave him a look of confusion as Mr. Squip pressed a button on the remote.

            Muffled sounds of groans surrounded them instantly. Jeremy blushed and looked towards the origin of the noise, the huge flat screen on the wall in front of the bed. Jeremy turned pale as he saw himself and Will on the screen. It was clearly footage from the previous night.

            “You…filmed us?” he asked quietly. Mr. Squip snorted and paused the video.

            “I keep tabs on everyone who enters my son’s life, especially those he calls his ‘friends’. Though, he has never been one to have friends before now, so I was really interested to see those he would consider to be special enough to be thought of as such,” he said as he threw a file on his desk. The contents spilled out before Jeremy. He looked down to see different various photos of Will and the rest of their group hanging out.

            There were multiple photos of him and Will together. Some he recognized as dates, and others before they entered a relationship. He saw profiles of him and the rest of their group. Michael, Christine, Chloe, Brooke, Rich, Jake, and Jenna all looked back at him with smiling faces. Jeremy felt like he wanted to throw up when he saw his own face smiling back at him too.

            “My people did not, however, pick up on the fact that he was involved with anyone intimately…and with a boy at that,” Mr. Squip continued. “I didn’t want to believe it when Henry Lancaster’s daughter contacted my office to tell me that William had entered into a homosexual relationship. He had never been able to follow through with any of the relationships I had set before him. So, I had Max install a camera in the room Will had acquired for the ball. It was originally put in to disprove the insipid girl’s claims, but imagine to my surprise that she was correct!”

            Mr. Squip looked at Jeremy up and down with disdain, with the same eyes as the boy he loved. It was as if Will were looking at him in that way. Jeremy swallowed hard.

            “If he was interested in men, he should have just told me. Obviously, he can’t be together with a man permanently in the public eye, but any sexual release he needs can be done in secret without the media catching wind of it. After taking an appropriate wife, he can just take a sexual stimulant to produce an heir, then he can continue with his business, secret life included,” he said idly.

            Jeremy really was going to throw up now as the man before him planned out Will’s life. Jeremy could see it too. He could see Will going on to an ivy league college, graduating, meeting a beautiful, wealthy woman, having an heir, and being just as lonely as he had been when Jeremy had first met him. Jeremy could see Will turning into the man he was currently looking at, cold and unfeeling.

            Jeremy didn’t want to be there to see that happen, he didn’t want that to happen in the first place. What was he going to do though? What could he do? He was powerless to protect Will. He clenched his hands in frustration.

            “I do think he needs to consider men more on his level though,” he said as he did a once-over on Jeremy again. “I really don’t see the appeal personally.”

            Jeremy didn’t see the appeal either, to be honest. Will had told him he wasn’t bad looking, he had also told him he admired how kind he was. Jeremy kept those thoughts close to his heart. Will liked him for him, and that was all that mattered, no matter what this guy said.

            “You’re going to have leave the picture, Jeremiah. You are too much of a liability to William. Though I’m not asking you to leave empty handed,” he said, waving a hand towards a suitcase laying on his bed. “Go ahead and open it,” he commanded.

            Jeremy stiffly walked over to the case and opened it up to see more money than he would probably ever see in his lifetime. He looked over at Mr. Squip in question.

            “$10 million. That is enough to set you and your father up for life. It is enough to pay for your education if you desire to continue it, and your life onwards. You’ll never have to worry about finances ever again. It’s yours, as long as you stay away from my son,” he said, a threatening tone to his voice.

            Jeremy looked down at the stacks of cash and then back at Mr. Squip. He closed the case and locked it back in place. Walking away from it, he stood in front of Will’s father with an expressionless look.

            “And if I refuse? What’ll happen?” he asked calmly, though he had a good idea what the answer would be. The man eyed him with irritation and scowled. He walked over to the table and picked up Jeremy’s portfolio.

            “Your father is a manager at a third-rate construction company, it would be a shame if he were to lose his position if the company were to downsize if a larger company decided to take it over. It would also be unfortunate if you weren’t able to be admitted to a postsecondary school, or acquire a job in the future either. There are many incidents that could occur if you were to refuse Jeremiah,” he answered. Jeremy expected as much. This man had the power to ruin him and his father.

            “Your mother is not a problem. She knew when to upgrade when she met that lawyer from Chicago,” he said maliciously. Jeremy looked at him in surprise.

            “Chicago?” he asked softly. He ignored the ill intent behind the words. They were facts he already knew. Jeremy knew his mother had ran away with another man, any other details were insignificant. Her going to Chicago did surprise him though, since she had often talked about moving to somewhere more tropical. Chicago was as far from tropical as one could get.

            “Oh, you didn’t know where your mother was? I could give you her address and phone number if you desire,” he said, waving the portfolio in the air, misinterpreting Jeremy’s interest.

            “No thanks…she can live her life however she wants. If she hasn’t contacted us yet, it means she doesn’t want to be found,” Jeremy said. Mr. Squip put the file down and stared at Jeremy curiously.

            “I’ve already offered you everything you could ever want, told you what could befall you and your father in the future if you refuse, and yet, you still seem reluctant. What do you want, Jeremiah?” he asked.

            “All I want is to be with your son,” Jeremy said hoarsely. He felt his eyes begin to sting as tears threatened to escape. Jeremy knew being honest wouldn’t get him anywhere with this man, but he wanted to put his feelings out there regardless.

            “That’s one thing I can’t give you,” he said, but then looked contemplative. “As Winston has probably told you, William is in competition with him over the CEO position,” he said. Jeremy wasn’t surprised at him knowing about his conversation with Win, the man had been tailing him and his friends for who knows how long.

            “If William does anything to jeopardize his position, Winston will take his place. That includes disobeying my orders to leave that shithole city of Redbank. He won’t hesitate to come back to his old life here in New York. He’ll quickly forget all of you soon enough,” he said dismissively. “And if you do anything to prevent that, I think that William will lose the position unexpectedly.”

            Jeremy thought of everything Will had done so far since he’d known him. Enlisting help from complete strangers, spending countless hours teaching them how to be cool, taking high school and college classes at the same time, working on countless company projects throughout the night. Will had done all of this to prove that he was good enough for the position this man now held. There was so much more that Jeremy probably didn’t know, or would never know, that Will had to do, or had done, to get to where he was now within the company. Jeremy would not let his feelings be the reason for Will not achieving his dream, no matter how much it hurt his heart.

            “You don’t have to do that. I’ll leave, but I don’t want your money,” Jeremy said, glancing at the case, then at the screen that showed him and Will. He winced at the sight and looked away to gaze at the man in front of him. “I’m in love with your son, and I refuse to be the reason he ends up losing everything he’s worked tirelessly, and so long for,” he said.

            “Love is a weakness. William may be fond of you, clearly,” he said, looking at the screen, then back at him, “but he knows better than to throw it all away for something so trite.”

            “I sincerely hope that Will doesn’t feel the same. I hope he ends up happy no matter what. Thank you for your time,” Jeremy said softly, turning around and walking out of the room. He passed by an expressionless Max, and then entered the elevator. Jeremy didn’t begin to break down until the doors had closed and he was a few floors down.

* * *

 

            Jeremy didn’t see Will when he left. Even when he was packing his clothes up in their room, he still didn’t see his boyf-…ex-boyfriend. Jeremy felt the tears threatening to come back up, but he was determined to force the rest of them down until he got back home. Grabbing a pen and paper, Jeremy wrote a letter for Will and set it on their bed. He didn’t want Will worrying about his whereabouts, or to think their relationship had ended because it was his fault. Jeremy was more than ready to take the fall for this one. Will would inevitably take the blame, but that didn’t mean Jeremy wouldn’t try to convince him otherwise in a last-ditch effort.

            After making his way down to the lobby, Jeremy made his way outside and hailed a cab. The weather outside was misty, and it looked like it was about to pour. It matched his mood perfectly. A cab stopped in front of him, and he entered the warm vehicle after putting his bags away in the trunk.

            “Where you headed to?” the middle-aged man asked from the front seat.

            “I’m heading to Redbank,” Jeremy answered, and gave the man a few hundreds when the cabby gave a look of protest in the mirror. “That should be more than enough. Here’s the address,” he said, handing it to the driver. He then laid his head back as the cabby wordlessly drove onward.

            Will had given Jeremy some spending money, despite his protests, just in case he had to leave him alone for business if any came up. Jeremy would only accept a few hundred, and no more, much to Will’s chagrin. Jeremy was relieved that he had it now, or else he didn’t know how he would have gotten home without contacting his dad or one of his friends.

            The drive was silent, giving Jeremy enough time to process what had happened within the last few hours. All he wanted to do was cry, but refused to until he reached the sanctity of his room. He didn’t know what he was going to tell their friends, hell, he didn’t even know if Will was coming back to New Jersey at all after the conversation with his father. Jeremy might never see Will again for all he knew. Just that thought alone had tears coursing down his cheeks.

            “Hey buddy?! You okay?” the driver asked in alarm. Jeremy wiped his face and nodded.

            “I’m good, just…exhausted,” Jeremy answered truthfully. The cabby nodded warily and turned up the radio slightly. Jeremy didn’t recognize the song, but he laid back and let the music drift him off to sleep. All he wanted right then was to escape his reality for a few blissful minutes. He might even dream of Will, if he was lucky.

* * *

 

            _~~Dear Will,~~_

_~~Hey! Will,~~_

_Sorry, Will. I know you’re worried about me by now, but I’m ~~fine~~   ~~good~~ okay. I’ve just gone back home. ~~Without you.~~ I’ve been thinking about our relationship, and after meeting your dad, I realized that I ~~don’t think~~ know that I’m not what you need. I’m not a girl, for one, and I can’t have heirs ~~obviously.~~ If the media or your colleagues thought you were ~~a homo~~ ~~fag~~ into men, then it wouldn’t be positive press. Two, I’m not wealthy, and I can’t help expand your business, or add anything else to the table. ~~I don’t know how to help you.~~ Three, I don’t have any social connections ~~whatsoever~~. I mean, you need to be with someone who knows other ~~rich~~   ~~wealthy~~ people. ~~Right? Someone who relates to you.~~ Anyway, all of that to say, I hope you find happiness. ~~Your dad~~ Someone told me that you might not be coming back to NJ, so if these are my last words to you, I would like to say, ~~I’m sorry I love you and I hope you find someone that makes you as happy as you made me.~~ take care and be happy. _

_~~Love,~~_

_~~Sincerely,~~_

_Jeremy_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never cried while writing, even when I was writing the emotional scenes for IHHMILY, I still didn't cry. Writing that letter in this chapter really made me shed tears though... I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next! I love to see kudos and comments btw! :)


	27. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy's health worries the rest of the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in response to a comment made about Mr. Roland Squip (aka Will's father). They were wondering why Roland didn't physically harm Jeremy like he does Will, and noticed he seemed 'nicer' to Jeremy when they were talking. This is the best explanation I have in the shortest (laughs) way possible: 
> 
> Mr. Roland Squip is a very opportunistic, calculating character I created. With abusers, they typically do so out of an outburst of anger (among a lot of other reasons), but it's different for Roland. He has an antisocial personality, and has no feelings towards Will (or anyone else) when he does abuse him. He believes that what he is doing is purely discipline, not abuse towards Will.   
> With Jeremy, however, he doesn't hit him or anything because he doesn't want to discipline or correct him like he does Will. He just wants him gone, thus the threatening discussion. He isn't an angry, abusing tyrant that'll hit just anyone when incited. He does what he does to Will for a reason (in his view at least).

 

Jeremy forlornly picked at his cafeteria food with his fork. His friends sat around him talking in their own separate conversations. Michael and Rich were huddled together talking about who knows what. Jenna and Christine were discussing the latest play at the Two River Theater, while Brooke and Chloe talked about the mall’s newest sales. And Jake was discussing basketball tactics with Dustin Kropp. Everything was as normal as it usually was, and Jeremy felt sick seeing it.

            Jeremy told Michael he was going to the nurse’s office and he stood up to dump his tray. He didn’t see the looks of concern the table made as Jeremy threw away his full tray of food. Jeremy walked down the hall to the nurse and knocked on the office door. A young woman opened the door with a smile, then frowned in concern when she saw him.

            “Hello Jeremy. Is your stomach hurting again?” she asked worriedly. He gave a nod.

            “Yeah. I was hoping to take a nap until the next period is over,” he said.

            “Okay, come on in. I’ll wake you up when the bell rings,” she said sweetly.

            “Thank you very much,” he said, laying down on the cot and turning over.

            It had been a month since he had left New York, and there had been no word from Will since then. It hadn’t surprised Jeremy. He found that his appetite had disappeared, and he couldn’t keep things down like he usually could. Michael and Christine had forced him to eat meals in the beginning, but when he began to throw up everything he ate, they gave up.

Jeremy’s sleep patterns had also been affected. He couldn’t get through a whole night’s rest without spontaneously waking up, or from the reoccurring nightmares that plagued him. The school nurse had been kind enough to let him take small naps in between lunch and class, and each time he did she looked more and more concerned as the bags under his eyes darkened. He was just lucky that he had a free period after lunch. It gave him an hour to catch up on sleep.

Yawning, Jeremy felt his body relax, and it wasn’t long before he felt himself drift off into a sweet oblivion…

*

*

_The nightmare always started out the same._

_Mr. Roland Squip stood in front of him in his hotel room with a cold expression on his face. Dark blue eyes glared at Jeremy up and down like he was a piece of trash that needed to be picked up and thrown away._

_“I told you to keep away from my son,” he told him coolly._

_“I have been. I haven’t seen him!” Jeremy panicked. “I haven’t even talked to him!”_

_“I don’t like being lied to Jeremiah. You already know this,” he said, marching towards Jeremy, who backed up in defense._

_Mr. Squip shoved him onto the ground hard. Jeremy winced and looked up to see him coldly looking down at him. The man swung his foot back and kicked Jeremy in the ribs. With a cry, Jeremy held onto his aching side._

_“Look at me Jeremiah!” the man commanded. Jeremy didn’t want to. He knew what he would see if he did. “LOOK AT ME NOW JEREMY!” the man screamed, shoving Jeremy’s face up towards him with a rough hand._

_The man looking back at him wasn’t Roland, but Will. He was wearing a tailored black suit with a dark blue tie, his black, curly hair was slicked back, and his dark blue eyes glowed a light blue. The eyes gazed at Jeremy bitterly, and the hand on his face squeezed harder._

_“Listen to me and repeat Jeremy: everything about you is so terrible!” he said. When Jeremy didn’t say anything, he felt an electric shock shoot up his spine. Jeremy cried out and repeated._

_“Everything about me is so terrible!”_

_“Everything about you makes me want to die!”_

_“Everything about me makes you want to die!”_

_“Everything about you sucks!”_

_“Everything about me sucks!”_

_“All the people around you think you’re a slob!”_

_“All the people around me think I’m a slob!”_

_“Remember that Jeremy! You aren’t good enough!” Will yelled. The space around them wasn’t the hotel anymore, but a dark cube-like room with mirrors surrounding them. Jeremy looked over to see his own pathetic image staring back at him. Will stood over him menacingly, his hand still clenched around Jeremy’s face._

_Jeremy shoved away from Will and cowered in a corner of the room. The walls began to close in, causing Jeremy’s breathing rate to increase._

_“I KNOW! I KNOW I’M NOT!” Jeremy cried, tears streaming down his face. The man in front of him continued to scream obscenities and insults at him as Jeremy’s body shook in fear. “I KNOW! THAT’S WHY I LEFT YOU!” Jeremy yelled back. “I LOVE YOU! I LEFT BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!” he screamed at the phantom that had gone silent._

_“Love is a weakness, William. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can grow up and move on,” Will said. Jeremy frowned and looked up to see Roland Squip standing over him once again._

_Jeremy turned to the side and didn’t see his own reflection staring back at him this time, but a small blue-eyed boy with black, curly hair._

_*_

_*_

Jeremy awoke with a gasp, falling off the cot in the process. The nurse ran from the other room to check on him.

“Jeremy! Are you okay honey?” she asked in concern.

“Y-yeah… I-I’m f-fine. J-just a n-nightmare. I-it w-was j-just a n-nightmare,” Jeremy said while panting, picking himself up off the floor in the process. The young woman looked at him closely and felt his forehead.

“Hon, I think I need to send you home. You don’t look well,” she said kindly. Jeremy shook his head rapidly. Home is the last place he wanted to be at that moment. It would only give him more time to dwell on his thoughts.

“I’ll be fine. I just need to go to class, then I’ll be better,” he said quickly as he caught his breath. She gave a sigh.

“Jeremy, you haven’t looked well at all recently. I used to never see you in here before earlier this month. Do you want to talk about it?” she asked calmly. He shook his head slowly.

“No. I’ll move on…,” he winced as he repeated the words from his nightmare.

“Jeremy, if this continues, I’m going to have to notify your dad and recommend a specialist to talk to you. You don’t look well, sweetheart,” she said. Jeremy gave her a nod.

“Thanks…and I understand. I’m going to go to class now,” he said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but refrained, much to Jeremy’s relief. He grabbed his back pack and walked out of the office rubbing his sleep deprived eyes.

Jeremy walked to his history class early and sat down, putting his head on the cool desk. A few minutes later he felt a presence sit down beside him. He looked over to see Michael looking at him in concern.

“Dude, you look like ass, and I don’t mean the good-looking kind of ass that Rich has, but the bad-looking ass Mr. Reyes has,” he said. Jeremy rolled his eyes and rubbed them again.

“Thanks. I appreciate you saying that I look like Mr. Reyes’s ass. You’re a good friend, Mike,” Jeremy replied.

“Come on. You can’t honestly say that you think you look good. I mean, you didn’t have much meat on your bones to begin with, but now it’s just ridiculous the amount of weight you’ve lost in just a month,” Michael said, grabbing a hold of Jeremy’s bony wrist. The veins along the skin did look more prominent than Jeremy remembered them being before.

“You also look like you haven’t slept in weeks, which is probably close to the truth, isn’t it?” he asked, holding up his cell phone’s camera to show Jeremy his reflection. The bruises underneath his eyes almost looked black more than purple. His pale skin stuck out more than usual against the dark pigment of his sleepless eyes. The light blue in his eyes looked glazed over, like he was about to cry or collapse at any second. His mouth was dry and cracked, and even his hair looked a shade paler than usual. He really did look like ass.

“Yeah. I haven’t been sleeping well,” he admitted. Michael put his phone away and shook his head.

“Are you going to tell us what happened in New York with Will? We aren’t stupid Jer, we know that’s the reason you’ve been acting distant for the past month. You don’t hang out anymore, you don’t say anything, you don’t even eat, it’s freaking us all out. Brooke and Christine cried in the middle of the mall the other day because they were so worried about you,” Michael said. Jeremy looked down in shame. He hadn’t meant to hurt his friends.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to talk about it. I just want everyone to know that it wasn’t his fault. I chose to come home early on my own. He has nothing to do with the current situation,” Jeremy said. Michael frowned, but continued to let him talk. “Things just didn’t work out between us. We’re just too different, and from completely different worlds. His dad felt it was better for him if he went back to his old private school, and was closer to work. Him staying was a lot more convenient for him,” he explained as truthfully as he could.

Jeremy didn’t want his friends to know about anything he found out in New York. Some of the knowledge he now knew could come back to bite him the ass later if he wasn’t careful. He couldn’t put his friends’ futures at risk just so he could decompress. There was no way Mr. Squip wouldn’t find ways to ruin them if they tried to contact Will or to go see him. It was better that they accepted that he wouldn’t be returning their calls or emails anytime soon. Will didn’t have social media, so that didn’t factor into the equation luckily.

“I’ll tell them that, but you and I both know that more happened there than what you’re letting on. You won’t even say Will’s name for God’s sake!” Michael exclaimed.

“W-will, W-will…,” Jeremy muttered softly. “See, I can too,” he said, looking away from Michael.

“Okay, you can’t say his name without turning into an emotional wreck!” Michael said. Jeremy laid his head down in the opposite direction of his friend and ignore him. He heard Michael give a frustrated huff behind him, but ignored that too.

Michael may not understand it, but it was better this way for everybody.

* * *

 

            Brooke latched onto Jeremy’s arm while Christine latched onto his other arm as they walked along the sidewalk with the rest of their friends. Jeremy smiled as the two girls chattered about the different frozen yogurt flavors they were going to try as they made their way to Pinkberry. The two had been mother hens the past two days since Michael had told him of their breakdown in the mall.

            Jeremy decided he was through with being depressed. Even though he still struggled to sleep and eat, he did his best to change his attitude towards his friends. He talked to them at school like he used to, and had even gone with them to the mall after school the other day. It was now Friday afternoon and they were heading to Pinkberry for frozen yogurt.

Christine said she was going to treat him to the largest, chocolate concoction she could find on the menu. Brooke backed up her exclamation as they dragged Jeremy through the school doors after the final bell had rang. Jeremy had merely chuckled at the two girls as they led him to Brooke’s mom’s car. The other members of their group were quick to follow right behind them when they saw Jeremy was going to join the two.

The large group entered the store loudly, startling the girl at the counter. She took their orders and began to make their bowls as the group set a couple of tables together for their convenience.

Once they received their orders, Christine and Brooke urged Jeremy on as he ate his large bowl of chocolate hazelnut.

“Go Jeremy! Eat that yogurt!”

“Show that chocolate who’s the boss!”

“You two can stop now, I’m done,” Jeremy said dryly as he looked down at the empty bowl. Both girls hugged him on either side and cheered.

“You two are such dorks,” Chloe said with an eye roll as she took a bite of her blueberry yogurt.

“You’re dating one of these dorks ma’am,” Brooke said with a giggle. Chloe rolled her eyes again, but gave the blonde a small smile.

Jeremy was relieved when he didn’t feel the urge to vomit. He was hoping it was a sign that he was ready to consume other foods as well. And if he was lucky, maybe he would be able to sleep normally again too!

Michael then pulled him into a discussion about the old versus new Zelda games with Rich, which consumed a large amount of his time. After about thirty minutes had passed of arguing with Rich about the glory that was vintage videogames, Jeremy felt the crowded table begin to overwhelm him. It had been a month since he had been near so many people, and he felt the need to get a way for a few minutes.

“Hey guys, I’m going to take a walk outside for a bit. I’m feeling hot,” he said. The group nodded in understanding and moved to let him out.

“You want me to come with you buddy?” Michael asked. Jeremy shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be back three minutes tops,” he replied. The group nodded and continued with their conversations.

It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Michael or Jeremy to step outside of the group for a short period of time. Everyone understood their anxiety levels weren’t like the rest of theirs, and understood their need for space.

Jeremy walked out into the chilly afternoon air and took a deep breath of fresh air. He felt his body begin to relax instantly. Walking towards the crosswalk, he decided to take a quick walk around the block before he returned. Putting his hands in his pockets, Jeremy looked both ways before crossing, seeing no one, he continued onward. It wasn’t until he was more than halfway across that he heard a screeching sound on his left. Turning his eyes widened as he saw a black SUV speeding unnaturally fast towards him.

With what little reflexes he had, Jeremy ran and jumped forward onto the side walk. Relief washed through him as he made it off the street, but when he looked over, he saw the vehicle swerve towards him at a breakneck pace. Adrenaline coursing through his body, Jeremy ran in the opposite direction away from the out of control machine.

He skidded around the curb of the sidewalk, staying away from the street, to dodge the oncoming car. Jeremy looked over to see it a few feet away from him. In a last-ditch effort, Jeremy let it come closer by slowing his run, despite his instincts to go faster. He then threw his body towards the right in a sharp turn that the vehicle couldn’t make.

Jeremy gave loud cry as he felt the brush guard on the SUV hit his left leg, eliciting a cracking sound. He also misjudged the turn speed of the car as it smashed into his left side, knocking the air from his body. Jeremy barely felt himself fly through the air and smack into the hard pavement.

            Jeremy’s whole body felt numb, and his vision darkened. He felt an intense pressure on his chest, and it felt like it was getting harder to breathe. The only sense still working was his hearing as heard scared screams and shouts coming from all around him. The screeching of a nearby vehicle was heard, but it disappeared into the distance.

            “Someone call an ambulance!” he heard a man shout.

            “I’m on it!” another man replied.

            “Nobody touch him!”

            “Did anyone get a look at those tags?” another voice asked.

            “Oh my God! JEREMY!” he heard a female shriek. It sounded like Christine.

            “JEREMY!” Michael screamed.

            He heard feet hitting pavement. The sound grew louder, and stopped when he felt a light pressure on his arm.

            “Don’t touch him son. We need to let the paramedics assess him,” a man said. The pressure left his arm quickly.

            “Oh God…that’s a lot of blood,” he heard a woman say.

            “Jeremy…,” he heard Brooke whimper from somewhere beside him. He heard a few sobs, but couldn’t tell who they were coming from.

            Jeremy heard a siren in the distance. He felt his coherency starting to fade as the sounds around him grew more distant.

            The last thing he heard was Michael sobbingly say, “You’re going to be alright buddy! Stay with us! It’s going to be okay!”

            His world then faded into black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel your death glares from here! XD The next chapter will be in Michael's POV, since Jeremy is...well...not doing so good. I hope you semi-enjoyed the chapter! Love you guys!


	28. Hospitals and Accounts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael in the waiting room.

Michael Mell sat inside an OR waiting room at Riverview Medical Center. People he now considered friends sat around him. Chloe was holding Brooke as she sobbed in her arms, Christine and Jenna were leaned against one another with tears running down their faces, and Jake and Rich sat on either side of him with grim expressions. Michael didn’t know what he looked like, but he thought ‘shock’ was a good term for how he felt.

            The memory of Jeremy leaving Pinkberry ran through his mind. The next memory was him turning to look out the window to see Jeremy trying to escape from being run over by a black SUV. It was horrifying. Michael could still see Jeremy’s blood spilling across the pavement, and the mangled appearance of his leg. The boy that had been hit by a car, and who had smacked into the pavement didn’t look like the boy he had grown up with.

The Jeremy Heere he knew was full of life, and he did not look like the corpse he had seen on the ground. Even as Michael was telling the lifeless body that everything would be okay, he hadn’t believed that Jeremy was with him anymore. The body he had called his friend was no longer alive. The spark of hope that told him Jeremy was still alive was close to extinguishing before the ambulance arrived.

            When the paramedics had arrived, and told them that there was a pulse in the corpse, and it was still breathing, instant relief had overtaken him. A new hope had blossomed in Michael’s heart that his friend was not done living yet. Jeremiah Heere was going to be okay, just as he said he would be. That thought alone was enough to make him cry in relief.

            Jeremy was currently going through intensive surgery. From what he heard from the paramedics, Jeremy had a complete fracture in his left leg, at least four broken ribs, a partial fracture in his right arm, and a possible puncture in his right lung. The blood coming from his head appeared to be a deep cut, but without proper assessment in a hospital setting, there was no way to tell for sure. They suspected possible neck and spinal injuries, but they would have to wait to hear about that as well.  Jeremy was broken, but not beyond repair as long as he was taken to a hospital in time.

            Michael looked over to see Mr. Heere in the corner of the room with his head in his hands. There was no telling what the man was going through. Besides a few distant relatives, Jeremy was all the family he had left. Michael stood up and walked over to his friend’s dad. He took a seat beside him and rubbed his back in comfort.

            The larger man looked over at Michael and gave him a nod.

            “Hey son, how are you holding up?” he asked. Michael’s heart twitched. Michael should be asking that question, not him. It was his son who was battling between life and death right now.

            “I’m fine, but more importantly, how are you, sir,” he asked. Mr. Heere gave a deep sigh.

            “I’ll be okay once I hear my son is going to make it out of this,” he said, rubbing his red eyes.

            Michael nodded, “Yeah, I have a feeling everything will be alright. Jeremy may not seem it, but he’s tough.”

            “That’s true. I hope you’re right,” he answered. “I’ve been so busy catching up on the work I missed this past year, I haven’t been able to pay much attention to him. He his health has been lousy this month, and I don’t have a clue why…he wouldn’t answer any of my questions. I can hear him scream at night sometimes because of those nightmares of his. I used to go check on him, but after the fifth day of him telling me he was fine, I quit. I don’t know what to do Michael,” Mr. Heere said, running a hand over his bald head.

            “If it makes you feel any better, none of us know what’s wrong with him either. Ever since he went on that trip to New York with Will…he hasn’t been the same,” Michael said sadly.

            “Whose Will?” he asked. Michael looked at him in surprise, and was about to open his mouth to explain when a man in light blue scrubs and hat walked into the room. Mr. Heere stood up along with the rest of the group.

            “May I speak to the family of Jeremiah Heere?” the man asked. Mr. Heere walked forward towards the man.

            “I’m his father,” he said. The doctor, Michael assumed, nodded and led Mr. Heere out of the room to discuss Jeremy’s condition.

            Michael felt a hand take his, he looked down to see Rich looking up at him with a look of concern. Michael squeezed his hand, and gave a small smile.

            “You don’t have to act tough y’know. That’s my job,” Rich told him.

            “Let me have my moment,” Michael lightly teased. “I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack if I start to cry now,” he admitted. Rich nodded in understanding.

            “I hope Jeremy makes it through this,” Christine said worriedly from beside him. Michael put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a side hug.

            “Jeremy can do it. I believe in him,” Michael replied. Christine wiped her eyes and nodded.

            “I’ll try my best to. I don’t know why I can look on the bright side of everything else, but when it comes to this, I can’t,” she said.

            “We all saw a traumatic thing Chris. It’s hard for anyone to believe that a person can come back from a thing like what we saw in that street,” Jake said, putting a hand on her head in sympathy. “I’ve read articles about athletes having similar injuries, and they end up healing just fine. There isn’t a reason why Jeremy can’t heal up the same as them,” he finished, trying to sound as encouraging as possible. It looked like it did the trick, because Christine’s demeanor brightened a little bit.

            Mr. Heere walked back into the room a few minutes later with a relieved look on his face. Michael felt a weight lift from his shoulders at the sight. He saw the rest of his friends perk up in his peripheral.

            “Well kids, Jeremy is going to live to fight another day,” he said in relief.

            “Thank God,” Chloe said, holding onto Brooke as a crutch. Brooke herself was too choked up to say anything.

            “That’s great news! I’m going to let everybody know. People have been tweeting like crazy asking me about Jeremy. Apparently, somebody’s parent saw what happened and told their kid, then the rumor mill got started,” Jenna explained.

            “Thank goodness…I should have listened to you Michael,” Christine said, leaning into his side.

            “What’s the damage Mr. Heere?” Michael asked. The tired-looking father looked grim.

            “It’s going to take a couple more surgeries on his leg, and months of therapy before he’ll be able to move the same as he once did. Though, the doctor said he won’t ever be able to move that leg the same as before. He’ll probably walk with a limp the rest of his life, how serious a limp, they don’t know. We’ll have to wait on physical therapy to see how much he’ll be able to do. His arm is broken in a couple of places, but that should heal in a few months. About four ribs got broken, but that should heal well too. They had to…open him up to patch up his lung. If he had gotten here any later, he probably would have lost it. His head is fine, but it had to have numerous stitches. There were no serious spinal injuries, but he’ll have to have a neck brace for precaution for a couple of months. He has some scrapes and bruises too, but other than those things there’s nothing else wrong with him. They’re going to keep him in a coma for a week so his body can rest. So, when we go see him, he’s going to be hooked up to a breathing machine, but it’s only temporary. This could have been a lot worse than it ended up being,” Mr. Heere finished.

            They all looked at one another in relief. They were about to go see Jeremy a couple of people at a time when two police officers, a man and a woman, walked into the waiting room. The teens and Mr. Heere eyed them warily.

            “Hello. My name is Officer Hamilton, and this is Officer Schuyler, we’re here to ask some questions about the incident involving Jeremiah Heere,” the man said.

            “What do you need to know officer?” Mr. Heere asked hesitantly.

            “We would like to talk to these kids individually to find out what happened today,” the woman explained.

            They all nodded. Mr. Heere left to go see Jeremy, telling Michael to text him when they were ready to come see him too. The group sat in the waiting room as they each left with the police to give them their accounts. Finally, it came to be Michael’s turn.

            “Okay Mr. Mell, we’re just going to ask you a few questions about what you saw today while it’s still fresh,” the man said. Michael nodded, eager to get the questioning over with as quickly as possible. He was eager to check on Jeremy.

            “Now, the rest of your friends tell me that you saw what was going on before Mr. Jeremiah Heere was hit, can you tell us about that?” Officer Schuyler asked.

            “Yeah. We were eating at Pinkberry after school, and Jeremy got up to go take a walk. You see, we both have bad anxiety, so we both leave sometimes to get some fresh air and away from the group. This time, I didn’t go with him since he said he wasn’t going to be gone that long. He also looked like he wanted to be alone for a few minutes too. So, Jeremy left, and we went back to eating and talking. After about a minute, I just looked out the window randomly and I saw Jeremy on the sidewalk running away from this black SUV that looked like it was chasing him. I was shocked at first, because it was hard to believe what I was seeing. Then…then…then he got hit. He…went up into the air…and hit the street. That’s when I got up and ran out. The others didn’t know what I was doing until they looked outside and saw what I did. The son of a bitch driving the car looked like they were about to run him over, since the car was moving towards him again. I guess the driver saw us running though, because it reversed and drove off right after. There were other people that were there before us too that saw what happened,” Michael said, his voice fading out.

            The cops glanced at one another, and the man nodded.

            “Thank you for telling us, we know that couldn’t have been easy,” he said. Michael nodded, but said nothing in reply.

            “Was there anything out of the ordinary before you and your friends went to Pinkberry? Had anybody threatened Mr. Heere, or had been following him?”

            Michael shook his head, “No. Not that I noticed or knew of at least.”

            “Okay,” Officer Hamilton said, writing something down, then looking back up, “One last question, do you know if Mr. Heere has been having thoughts of suicide or self-harm?”

            Michael looked up angrily. “No. He hasn’t. We promised each other to always talk about that stuff if we even thought about either one of those things.”

            “Sometimes, people, even close friends, won’t tell their loved ones in fear that they will be judged or even stopped from committing these acts. They fear getting help sometimes,” Officer Schuyler said calmly.

            “Jeremy. Was. Not. Suicidal. He would have told me. That stuff is important to us because I used to self-harm and have thoughts of suicide. Jeremy knows to talk to me about that stuff, just like I know to talk to him if it happens to me again. We both made a promise to each other,” he said angrily. Both officers nodded.

            “We have been told by other sources that Mr. Heere hadn’t been in the best of health this past month. That he had been losing weight, and not eating or sleeping well. Are you sure what you saw wasn’t a personal attempt, rather than foul play?”

            “Oh my God! Jeremy did NOT jump in front of that vehicle! I may not have seen the beginning of what happened, but I know that I did see him on the sidewalk, AND he was running away from it! The car was ON the sidewalk going AFTER him! There were other people around that saw what I did! Yes, he hasn’t been doing well this month, but that’s because he just got through a hard breakup, NOT because he has been trying to pull a Heathcliff!” Michael said, his voice slightly rising in anger.

            “You can calm down Mr. Mell, we’ll get to the bottom of this. We just want to cover all of our bases before taking another step forward,” Officer Hamilton explained. “Thank you for your time.”

            Michael nodded and watched them leave. He raked a hand through his hair in frustration before texting Mr. Heere.

            When he walked back into the waiting room, the group stood together and discussed their police interviews. Apparently, they hadn’t only asked Michael about Jeremy’s psychological health.

            “Those assholes asked if Jeremy talked about killing himself to me before!” Rich said exclaimed angrily.

            “Yeah, they asked me the same!” Brooke said. Chloe and Jenna both nodded along with her.

            “He asked me if I’d ever seen Jeremy have pills in his locker during gym class,” Jake muttered with irritation.

            “I was asked if I was sure that Jeremy was run over, and he didn’t jump in front of the car instead,” Michael said. The group looked at him in shock.

            “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! You saw what happened! There were a lot of people who saw what happened!” Rich said. Michael squeezed his boyfriend’s hand and nodded.

            “I know. That’s what I told them too,” Michael replied. Rich continued to mutter various obscenities under his breath about the police as they walked to the outside of Jeremy’s room. There were only three people permitted to enter the room at once in the critical care unit rooms.

            By majority vote, Christine and Michael went in first, since they had been his friend’s the longest. It went without saying that Mr. Heere would stay in the room as the third person every turn (considering he was Jeremy’s dad).

            Michael and Christine walked into the room silently. Michael felt his stomach drop as he looked at Jeremy. He had never seen him look so weak, so fragile. Jeremy was usually pale, but now he just appeared white because of the blood loss. If he looked thin before, Jeremy now looked like a skeleton. The lanky, partially bandaged left arm was bruised all the way down to a feeble, bony wrist. His right arm was covered in a cast, while his plastered leg hovered in the air by thick straps attached to an overhead beam connected to the bed. A breathing mask obscured most of his face. A white bandage covered his curly hair, part of the bandage was stained dark red. There were multiple scratches and bruises covering Jeremy’s face, especially on the right side where he had landed against the hard pavement. Michael could barely see his chest rise and fall. Jeremy looked like he was on the edge of life and death, despite what the doctor had told Mr. Heere about Jeremy making an almost full recovery.

            Michael heard a whimper beside him. He looked down to see Christine with tears falling freely down her face. It wasn’t until he saw her, that he realized his own cheeks were wet as well. They both walked along side his left side and brushed against his arm. Jeremy made no movement in response.

            Mr. Heere sat on his ride side and watched his son sadly with red eyes. Michael couldn’t imagine what he must be going through, especially considering Jeremy was his only child. It must have been terrifying to have gotten that phone call after Jeremy’s ‘accident’. ‘Accident’ being the key word.

            That was odd. There was no way this was merely a coincidence. Jeremy had been acting strangely for a month, and it had to do with that trip to New York with Will. Michael may not be Will’s biggest fan, but he knew that the guy was crazy about Jeremy. He wouldn’t have done anything to have hurt Jeremy, even his friend had said their falling out had nothing to do with his ex.

            Jeremy had mentioned he was going to meet Mr. Squip (aka Daddy Warbucks) that weekend. Both Will and Jeremy had been nervous about going. They had to hide their relationship. Michael had worried them dating would end in tragedy if Will’s dad found out about it.

Michael could relate in a way. While Michael’s parents supported his orientation, Rich’s dad could not. Rich hadn’t even told his dad about him and Michael. Michael, however, couldn’t blame him. Rich’s dad was abusive even without the knowledge of his son’s bisexuality. If he did find out, his boyfriend might not make it out with just a few bruises.

Jeremy, one of his best friends, had almost been killed, and Michael felt deep in his gut that that had been the end goal.

Michael knew what he had to do.

             

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Will wasn't in this chapter...sorry! He'll be in the next one though! I hope people liked this chapter. The next will also be in Michael's POV too! I love the comments and kudos! It shows people are actually reading and enjoying this! XD
> 
> P.S. I put in certain phrases that I don't know if everyone knows (whether your from a different country, or just haven't read or seen them before).   
> 1) the Heathcliff reference is from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (an amazing book that is beautifully written!)   
> 2) the Daddy Warbucks reference is from the play/movie franchise, Annie.   
> 3) Hamilton names! Shame on you if you don't see them! I wasn't going to "miss my shot" at using them!


	29. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Rich go on an adventure!

Michael looked down at Jeremy one last time before turning around and walking out of the room. Christine called after him, but he ignored her. He continued his fast pace even when his friends waiting outside called out to him. Michael didn’t stop until he felt a hand yank him back. He turned to see Rich looking at him in concern.

“I’m going to be gone for a while. Please take care of Chris until I get back,” Michael said.

“No,” Rich said. Michael frowned down at him. “I’m coming with you. Jake is keeping an eye on Christine.” Michael nodded, not surprised that Rich had already known what he had in mind.

They both held hands as they ran out of the hospital and to Michael’s PT Cruiser. Michael climbed into the driver’s side while Rich got in the passenger’s seat. Michael started the car and made his way out of the parking lot towards the highway. Going five miles over the required speed limit, Michael and Rich made their way in the direction of New York.

* * *

 

            A little over an hour later, Michael and Rich were searching for a parking place near Squip Quantum Enterprise, which was five blocks away from their current location.

            “Damn. I can see why no one owns a car around here. You have to park five miles away just to get to work!” Rich exclaimed as they ran towards the SQE building. Michael gave a grunt in response.

            Michael and Rich had both tried to call Will’s cell, only for it to go straight to voice mail. He didn’t know how they were going to meet with him, but he would die trying. Will had something to do with Jeremy’s current condition, and Michael was going to find out what happened that weekend Jeremy refused to talk about.

            Christine had called Michael earlier to interrogate him on where they had gone. When he had told her, she hadn’t acted surprised.

            “It is suspicious. Jeremy never hides things from us unless he thinks he’s protecting us. Remember in third grade when that girl Julie was only pretending to be my friend so she could copy my math homework. Jeremy had overheard her making fun of me one day, and stood up for me. He then refused to talk about why she quit being my friend for MONTHS, and we were nine. He was protecting my feelings that time, well this time I think he’s protecting more than that. Jeremy knew something that almost got him killed. And I think Will knows what that is,” Christine said. “Go get him guys,” she finished.

            “We will. We’ll see you later, with Will,” Michael said, hanging up after she hung up.

            The building loomed over the two boys as they looked up at it. Michael felt instantly intimidated. Then, he thought of Jeremy and how fragile he looked in the hospital. He swallowed hard and grabbed onto Rich, leading him into the building.

            “Awe shit…,” Rich muttered as he took in the gigantic, sleek lobby around them. “There’s no way they’ll let us see the CEO’s son, Michael,” he said.

            “They will. I’ll make sure of it,” Michael said with determination. Rich looked back at him warily as they walked up to the desk. A young, smartly dressed woman sat in front of a computer. Her manicured, French tipped nails typed quickly across the keyboard. She was quietly speaking into the headset she wore around her platinum blonde hair.

            “Yes sir, I can make your meeting around nine o’clock Wednesday morning,” she answered the quiet voice coming through the microphone. When she turned off the phone, she looked up at the two boys in street clothes with confusion.

            “Can I help you?” she asked them.

            “Yes, you can. We are here to see Will…sorry, William Squip. We’re friends, and one of our friends is in the hospital right now. He’ll want to know, but he won’t answer our calls. Please, can you tell him we’re here and that it’s about Jeremy. He’ll come if you say that!” Michael said quickly. Rich stood beside him, nodding vigorously.

            “I’m sorry. You said William Squip?” she said with raised eyebrows. Michael noticed her reach down under the desk. Great…security was all they needed right now.

            “Yes, Will Squip. Here, let me show you!” he said, taking out his phone and sliding to a picture of Will and Jeremy at the bowling alley. Jeremy was looking down and showing Will the bowling ball holes, while Will looked at Jeremy’s face with what Michael considered a lovestruck expression. He turned his phone and showed her the picture.

            “See! This is Will and Jeremy, the friend in the hospital! We went to school with Will in New Jersey!” he said.

            She stared at the photo, then looked up at the boys with a dubious expression. Rich then pulled out his own phone and showed a photo of Will and himself. Will looked down at him in horror as Rich had tossed an arm around his neck for the photo.

            “See! He is our friend. That’s at a party at his house in NJ! We aren’t lying!” Rich said. The girl looked even more unsure as she stared at the photo. Michael heard footsteps behind them and turned to see a couple of guards coming at them with serious expressions. He turned to look down at her again.

            “Please tell Will that Michael and Rich are down here! Mention that Jeremy is in the hospital! He’ll come, I swear!” Michael said quickly, then he felt a hand wrap around his arm.

            “Sir, we need you to leave. You are causing a disruption,” the guard told him. Michael looked over to see the other guard holding on to a squirming Rich.

            Michael gave the woman a pleading look before giving a nod to the guard. They took a few steps away from the desk when another voice spoke up.

            “Let the boys go. I know them,” a female voice said. Michael looked over to see an older woman coming towards them.

            Black heels clacked against the tiled floors as she made her way across the lobby. She was dressed sharply in a gray pant suit and had gray-streaked brown hair pulled up in a tight bun. Her silver framed glasses surrounded dark brown eyes as she observed them closely.

            The guards took their hands off them as they saw the woman give them stern gazes when they didn’t do as she had told them initially.

            “You two can leave now,” she dismissed. The guards quickly took off as she continued to eye them sternly.

            “And you,” she said, looking down at the young woman, who cowered under her gaze, “I told you to tell ME whenever someone asked for Mr. William or Mr. Squip. You know they have discrete clients that come by at times,” she said.

            “I’m sorry ma’am. They didn’t look…look like the usual clients,” the blonde replied.

            “As I told you, ‘discrete’ can come in many forms. Now, get back to work,” she said dismissively to the younger woman, who had tears in her eyes as she turned her gaze back to the monitor in front of her.

            “Come with me boys,” the older woman said. They both followed her as she marched ahead of them. They made several turns before walking into what appeared to be a small conference room.

            With the door shut behind them, she turned to look at them. They both flinched, but waited for her to say something first.

            “I apologize for our employee’s incompetence. Now, show me those photos you two have on your phones,” she commanded. Complying with her demands, they showed her their various photos.

            “This is Mr. Heere?” she asked as Michael showed her the bowling picture. Michael nodded.

            “Yeah, that’s Jeremy. He and Jeremy…were close,” he said. Michael wasn’t for sure how much Will had told others about their real relationship.

            “I see,” she replied calmly, “and you said he is now in the hospital?”

            “Yeah! A car ran him down, and almost killed him!” Rich said beside him. “Will needs to know!”

            The woman turned pale at his words. She looked scared for a moment before turning her expression back to impassive. She took her phone out and typed in a number. A deep voice began to talk through the speaker.

            “Yes sir, you have a client in conference room A on the first floor,” she said smoothly. The muffled voice replied, and she turned off the call. “He will be here in a few minutes. I’ll be with you until then,” she said.

            They nodded and took seats along the round table in the middle of the room. She took a seat beside them and remained quiet. A few awkward moments later, the door opened to reveal Will. He was currently speaking in Mandarin over the phone, and had not looked up to see his visitors yet.

            When the conversation ended, and he glanced up, Michael almost flinched at the sight of him. The once proud, not a hair out of place guy they all knew, and Michael wanted to sometimes punch, was no longer there.

The expensive, black suit he wore hung off his form limply. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in days, judging by the sunken in eyes and cheeks he now had. The bags under his eyes looked worse than Jeremy’s had the previous day, and a dark, five o’clock shadow stood out against his pale skin. His black, curly hair hung lifelessly against his forehead, no longer perfectly coiffed as Michael was used to seeing it. Michael noticed his hands twitching occasionally as they hung at his sides. The guy looked like he was being held together by a thread, a thread that was ready to snap at any second, judging by the way his eyes bulged out as he took in the sight of them.

            “What are you two doing here?” he asked in surprise. His voice didn’t have the same commanding tone it once had. It now sounded defeated, even hopeless. Shaking away his thoughts, Michael sat up and walked up to him with Rich at his side.

            “Will, thank God! We drove all this way to tell you that Jeremy…Jeremy’s hurt. He’s in the hospital,” Michael said. Rich’s voice chimed in from his side.

            “A damn car…an SUV ran him over when he was walking in town. It almost killed him! Before that he wouldn’t even eat, and he wouldn’t sleep either! We were scared he was going to do something to himself. And he wouldn’t talk about what was bugging him. Ever since he came back from that New York trip with you he’s been-,” Michael clamped a hand over Rich’s mouth.

            Will’s twitching began to worsen, and his face had turned paler than before. Rich had unknowingly cut the thread that had been holding the guy together. Will lunged toward one of the chairs in the room and roughly sat down, taking his phone out of his pocket in the process. Michael flinched as he threw the phone across the room with an angry shout, shattering it against the wall. The battery flung out the back of it and clacked against the floor.

He took his hand off Rich’s mouth. Rich stared at Will in shock. Michael really had to teach his boyfriend how to read emotions better. Will put his head in his hands and began to sob. The woman who had escorted them in had sat quietly in her seat until now. She stood up and sat beside Will, rubbing his back up and down gently. A few minutes passed by before Will took his head out of his hands and rubbed the tears off his face.

Getting up, he looked down at the woman, “Gloria, cancel my meetings for the rest of the week. If my father asks, tell him politely to fuck off,” Will said coldly. The woman, Gloria, nodded.

“Take me to Jeremy,” he told Michael as he brushed passed them. Michael and Rich ran after him. Michael told him of his car’s location, to which Will only gave a brisk nod.

They made their way to the lobby. The woman at the desk looked at them following Will in surprise.

“Told ya so!” he heard Rich tell her shocked face as they made their way out.

Crossing street after street, the two shorter boys raced after their taller friend. Before they made it to the Cruiser, Will stopped by a payphone and grabbed some change out of his pocket. Michael hadn’t realized that Will was the type to even carry change. He slipped the coins into the slot and jammed in various numbers. Will then stood still as he waited for whoever it was on the other line to pick up. A male voice replied through the receiver.

“This is Will. Use the papers. I don’t give a fuck anymore. Just use them,” he said angrily. The voice answered back, causing Will to grit his teeth.

“Yes, I’m sure. You can have it all. Screw it all. Murder him if that is what it takes. God knows I want to. I don’t care what you do. Just end him,” he replied, gripping the phone tightly. The voice replied again in a questioning tone.

“That mother fucker tried to kill Jeremy. If I hear that you knew about this, I swear I’ll hire someone to cut off your dick. Better yet, I’ll do it myself,” he said menacingly, causing Michael to swallow hard. Muffles were heard on the other end.

“You better not have…I know it was him. A black SUV isn’t just going to show up out of nowhere and hit him randomly. The police won’t be able to trace it. He doesn’t leave evidence behind the scenes of his crimes. You know that more than anyone,” Will said. The voice replied, and Will nodded.

“Okay. Thanks. Don’t try to call my phone. I got rid of it. The bastard had a tracker in it, and I’m willing to bet had someone listening to my conversations too. Yeah…okay…bye,” he said before hanging up.

“You know who tried to kill Jeremy,” Michael stated. Will gave a nod, but didn’t say anything more before heading towards the Cruiser. “You aren’t going to tell us anything, are you?”

“No. Later, but not now. It’s safer if you know as little as possible,” Will said, getting in the back of Michael’s car.

“Explains why Jeremy didn’t talk much about what happened,” Rich said beside Michael. Michael gave a nod as he pulled out of the parking space.

“Jeremy didn’t say anything about that weekend?” Will asked from the back seat.

“No, and it wasn’t from a lack of asking. Chris and I figured he was trying to protect us from something, but we didn’t know what,” Michael replied. “It must be something big if it almost got him killed.”

Will gave a nod, then continued to look nervously out the window. Michael noticed his hands continued to shake against his knees.

            “Jeremy’s condition is stable. The doctor who operated on him told Mr. Heere that he’ll be fine, it’ll just be a long recovery time,” Michael explained. He chose to eliminate the part about Jeremy not being able to walk the same ever again. It was a theory that’ll have to wait to be seen until Jeremy could start physical therapy. Only time would tell how well Jeremy would recover.

            Michael waited until they made it onto the highway to say more.

            “He doesn’t blame you. I tried to push him to tell me what happened countless times, but all he would say was that it wasn’t your fault. He took the fall, and said it was his decision to leave. You don’t have to worry about him being mad at you when he wakes up,” Michael told him.

            “He really is too nice for his own good,” Will replied a few minutes later. Michael had been beginning to think he wasn’t going to respond. “I kept telling him that, but he always brushed it off.”

            The car ride was silent for the most part. Music played through the radio, but even music-crazed Michael was too distracted by his own thoughts to pay attention to it. When they were about ten minutes away from the hospital, Will spoke again.

            “It is all my fault. Jeremy won’t say it, but I will. I knew what would happen if my dad ever found out about him, but I selfishly went with my own feelings. Now look where Jeremy’s at. I should have stayed away like I planned, but I couldn’t. Jeremy almost died because of me. I shouldn’t even be going to see him now, but I can’t stop. I can’t stop loving him. I must see with my own eyes that he’s still breathing, that he’s still alive. I’m so selfish, it’s ridiculous,” Will said. Michael looked in the rearview mirror to see tears running down the boy’s face.

            Looking away, Michael focused on turning onto the exit. Afterwards, he spoke. “I don’t think it’s selfish to love somebody. Don’t get me wrong, love can be selfish, but caring about another’s well-being isn’t,” Michael said softly. “When Jeremy wakes up, he’ll be happy to see you more than anyone else, even his own dad I’m pretty sure. And just so you know, Rich was right earlier. Jeremy’s health hasn’t been the best since you guys separated. I’m going to warn you, he doesn’t look the same as when you last saw him,” Michael explained.

            Will gave a nod. “But it doesn’t look like Jeremy’s the only one who looks different,” Michael added as he took in Will’s own emaciated appearance.

            “I…haven’t been in the best of health recently,” Will muttered as he looked down at his scrawny wrists with distaste.

            “No shit,” Rich stated. Michael rolled his eyes at his boyfriend’s lack of tact, then heard a snort from the back seat.

            Michael looked back to see Will smiling slightly, then looked away when he returned his gaze.

            “It’s been a while since I’ve heard someone tell me like it is. It’s nice to hear it again,” Will replied truthfully. Maybe Rich’s lack of tact wasn’t so bad after all sometimes.

            They finally made it to the hospital, and Michael parked in the closest spot to the front that he could find. When they finally parked, Will stepped quickly out of the car and raced towards the entrance. Rich and Michael ran after him when they managed to scramble out of the car and lock the doors behind them.

            “Wait up! We can show you where to go!” Michael called from behind him. Will slowed to a stop and looked back at them sheepishly.

            “Sorry. I got too ahead of myself,” he apologized. Michael wasn’t used to William Squip apologizing, and did a double take at him.

            “We’re also limited to three people in the room at once, so we can’t just rush into Jeremy’s room,” Rich explained. Will nodded and waited for the two boys to take the lead.

            When they finally made it to the CCU again, the others jumped up from their seats in surprise at the sight of Will.

            “Will! You’re here!” Brooke exclaimed. Chloe put her hands on her hips in agitation.

            “Where the hell have you been?! Do you know what Jeremy’s been through because of you?!” she asked in irritation. Michael knew she was referring to Jeremy’s health, not the hospitalization, but Will clearly took it to mean the latter by visibly flinching. She frowned in response, not used to eliciting a reaction from him.

            “Will, thank God you’re here!” Christine said, coming out of Jeremy’s room with Jenna right behind her. She ran up and gave him a tight hug, then let him go. He looked startled, but said nothing. “You look as bad as Jeremy does,” she said with worry. “Come on, only Jeremy’s dad is with him right now, so you can go in,” she said kindly. He gave a nod and quickly walked into the room.

Michael gave Rich’s shoulder a squeeze and walked in behind Will, who had stopped in the doorway. His face had turned even paler than before, and his eyes appeared misty as they took in the sight of Jeremy in his hospital bed.

Mr. Heere looked up from his book to see the two boys in the doorway.

“Hey Michael! I was wondering where you took off to. Who’s this?” Mr. Heere asked curiously as he gazed at Will.

“This is Will. He’s Jeremy’s-,” Michael began before Will interrupted.

“Boyfriend. I’m Jeremy’s boyfriend,” he said, walking over to Jeremy’s left and placing a tender hand to Jeremy’s limp arm. He sat down and caressed it softly as silent tears fell down his face as he gazed at Jeremy’s mask-covered face.

“Oh…I didn’t know Jeremy was seeing anyone. He didn’t tell me anything,” Mr. Heere said in surprise.

“We didn’t want our parents to know. I knew my father would react badly, and Jeremy didn’t know how you would feel about him dating another man,” Will answered, looking over at Mr. Heere in concern while he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“I see. Well, I won’t lie, it’s a surprise. I didn’t think Jeremy was interested in men, but I’m not going to disown him for it. I love my son, whether he likes girls, boys, or alpacas. It doesn’t matter to me, though I would have to talk to him about the alpacas. That would be weird, even for me,” Mr. Heere said awkwardly.

Michael snorted at how Jeremy-like it sounded. Son like father. Michael looked over to see Will smiling at the bald man with amusement. He clearly was thinking along the same line as Michael.

Michael quietly walked out of the room and back to his other friends to give them some privacy.

Rich walked up to Michael and threw his arms around his waist. Light brown eyes gazed up at him with worry. Michael felt his heart rate accelerate slightly. They had been dating for months, and Michael still got butterflies every time Rich got close.

“So, everything okay in there?” he asked in concern. Michael wrapped his own arms around his shorter boyfriend and nodded.

“Yeah, I think everything is going to be okay now. At least, I hope so,” he admitted. Rich sighed in response.

“I hope so too. I’m ready for things to go back to normal!” he said, resting his head against Michael’s chest. Michael rested his own head on top of Rich’s and breathed in the scent of his boyfriend’s shampoo. It reminded him of their shower escapades, and he felt himself blush. Now was not the time nor the place.

“Me too,” Michael said softly, slowly melting into the embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy's POV will return in the next chapter. Will is back in the story again too! I know you all missed him. I'm such a nerd because in my head I imagined Michael as Frodo and Rich as Sam from Lord of the Rings when they were on their mission to find Will the entire time I was writing. I'm a dork lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. There will be a better reunion between Will and Jeremy in the next chapter, since Jeremy will be awake. Once again, I love you all! Thanks for the comments and support! :D


	30. Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy is back!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back too! Thank y'all for your patience and understanding! This chapter has been worked on little by little over the weeks, but finally I made time to finish it! It is also longer than the others (over 4,000 words!). Hope everyone enjoys! :D

Jeremy was surrounded in total darkness.

The air felt cool, and the void was silent.

 He remembered very little about how he got there, but the resounding voices of his friends’ worried shouts echoed throughout the corners of his mind.

Something serious had occurred, that he knew.

He had been walking, then running, and finally hit from behind.

Beyond the frantic yells of the people around him, he couldn’t recall a thing afterwards.

            Floating in the fabric of space in his mind, Jeremy had plenty of time to think.

            He didn’t know if he was dead or not. If he was dead, then death was anticlimactic if all you did was float in the spaces of your own mind. Jeremy could have done this at home in his bed. Michael and Chris would probably disapprove of that though.

            Grief hit him as he thought of his best friends. They would be hurt over Jeremy’s death. Will would too, Jeremy was sure of it.

A longing ache spread throughout his mind as his thoughts wondered over to the love he had lost. He was probably dead now, and one of his regrets was not having seen Will again.

 Poor Will…Jeremy hoped he found love again, or at least happiness in some form or another. Even if Jeremy was dead, and no longer apart of Will’s world, he wanted Will to be happy, even if Jeremy wouldn’t be there alongside him to see it happen. The guy deserved to have happiness in his life after everything he had been through.

Jeremy wished he could have been the one to have made William Squip happy.

            A deep sadness overtook him as Jeremy ached for Will’s embrace and the future that might have been. He hadn’t even gotten to introduce him to his dad.

Another wave of grief hit him when Jeremy thought of his dad, and how he would be alone now. Sure, there were his uncle and aunt, but it wouldn’t replace the spouse and son he had lost within almost a years-time span. The thought of his father drunk on the couch again hurt his heart. Jeremy wished he could have been a better son. He should have spent more time with his dad, and laughed more at his jokes, no matter how unfunny they were. Jeremy should have given his dad better memories of him. The man deserved that much.

            Moments passed before the depressing thoughts of Jeremy’s mind were interrupted by faint noises coming out from the abyss. Jeremy strained to hear the noises until he could identify that they were voices. They were a barely noticeable hum, then turned into a mumble, then a whisper, then into complete coherency.

 Jeremy recognized the deep voice of his dad. It comforted him that his voice was here in the dark with him. The voice brought him back to a time when he was five and how his dad had picked him up with his strong arms and placed him on his shoulders when they went places together. Jeremy had felt he was king of the world when he was on those shoulders. He felt safe and secure, like nothing could touch him as long as he was carried by the man beneath him.

            The second voice he heard made Jeremy feel an excitable joy. Will’s smooth tone cut through the void like a knife. It made Jeremy want to tear through the blackness and find him, just so he could gaze upon his face one more time. If Jeremy was dead and being with his dad’s voice for eternity was heaven, then being with Will’s voice was more like hell. He would always hear him, but never be able to see or touch him. Those realizations pained him to no end.

He eased his conflicting emotions and listened to the words forming through the dark.

            “…didn’t know he would take it this far,” Will said quietly. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am that this has happened. I promise that as soon as I see that Jeremy is okay, I’ll leave, and you won’t see me again.”

            _No…you can’t leave! I just got you back, or at least your voice back!_ Jeremy lamented as he heard the words coming from his ex-lover.

            “I don’t think that’s necessary. You couldn’t control what happened. I don’t believe Jeremy would blame you either,” his dad replied.

            “You both should. I deserve to be blamed,” he said.

            “You’re too young to be shouldering blame like this. Jeremy will be fine, he’s made it this far after all,” George replied calmly.

            Will didn’t reply to the statement. The room was quiet then, as was the void Jeremy was currently floating in. He was beginning to think the voices were done speaking when a voice ended the silence.

            “So, how long have you two been dating?” George asked. Jeremy wished he could see Will’s expression, especially since the silence stretched awkwardly before Will answered.

            “About a month and a half…we didn’t date that long…,” he muttered, embarrassment lacing his tone. “We knew each other for a few months longer than that though,” he finished quietly.

            “I see…Jeremy never told me,” his dad admitted. “He is always too embarrassed to tell me about his life at school, let alone anyone he might be dating.”

            “You…don’t care about us both being men?” Will asked nervously. The emotion was strange to hear in his voice.

            “No. I could care less about who Jeremy is with, as long as he is happy, and the other person treats him right,” his dad answered.

            “I wish my father was that understanding,” Will muttered. Jeremy had to strain to hear his voice.

            “I wish your father was a lot of things. Dead being one of them right now,” George growled angrily.

            “Yes…I’m sorry…,” Will quietly said.

            “ _You_ don’t have to apologize. _You_ didn’t do anything wrong,” Jeremy’s dad replied.

            “Yes, _I_ did. Jeremy is in a hospital bed right now because of _me._ Jeremy may not be able to walk the same ever again because of _me._ If he will be able to walk again at all. Hell, he’s received liters of blood transfusions, and must have at least two more leg surgeries in the future because of _me._ Everything is because of _me_ ,” he trailed off whimpering.

            “Son, I’m going to ask, because me telling you it isn’t your fault obviously isn’t working, how is this your fault?” George asked.

            “I couldn’t stay away from Jeremy. I tried to. God knows I tried. Jeremy left and gave me the opportunity to separate from him for good, and I couldn’t even grant him that,” Will said, his voice muffled. Probably by his hand, the other was squeezing Jeremy’s hand, judging by the pressure he currently felt there.

            “What do you mean?” George wondered aloud. Jeremy was glad the question was asked, because he had been wondering the same thing.

            “Jeremy left, but I didn’t leave him. I drove a few days out of the week to…I’m ashamed to admit this…watch him leave when school ended. I drove down here from New York, and…sat in the parking lot just to watch him walk by a car I rented,” Will finished quickly. Jeremy would bet a lot of money that he was blushing right now.

            “It was as close to him as I could get without him seeing me,” Will added sheepishly.

            George was quiet. Jeremy wished he could see the expression on his dad’s face.

            “I know I sound like a stalker, but I couldn’t stand not seeing him. My visits got more frequent, until I was coming every day, except on the weekends. I was tempted to sit outside your house just to get a glimpse of him there on those days,” he admitted quietly.

            “You drove three hours back and forth just to see my son?” George asked. Before Will could answer, George continued.

            “That is some commitment,” he said, giving a low whistle that he gave only when he was impressed by something. Will remained silent, most likely from embarrassment.

            Will had come to see him? Jeremy hadn’t even felt eyes on his person. How unfair was it that Will got to see him, but Jeremy didn’t get to see him? Not. Cool.

            Jeremy mentally shook his head. He could possibly be dead right now and the voices could be figments of his imagination for all he knew. Jeremy shouldn’t be mad at the real Will just because imagination Will said something he didn’t agree with.

            After a few moments, imagination Will spoke in a rush, and Jeremy heard a squeaking noise that sounded like a chair rubbing across the floor.

            “I’m going to the bathroom.”

            Footsteps echoed in the background of the void.

            Jeremy heard a chuckle emanate from the darkness. It was his dad’s. Jeremy hadn’t heard it sound genuine like that in quite some time.

            “Well son, it’s safe to say that that boy is beyond smitten with you,” his dad told him with amusement. Jeremy felt a light squeeze on his shoulder.

            Jeremy knew that even if imagination Will loved him, that didn’t mean real Will felt the same. Real Will was too scared of his father to act out against him. Jeremy wasn’t worth all the years of dedication and painstaking work. Jeremy didn’t think he was worth it, so why should Will? Jeremy cared too much about Will to get in the way of Will’s bright future. Didn’t leaving New York prove that? Did speaking up against Will’s father not mean that he cared about Will?

Jeremy certainly thought so.

            So, Jeremy ignored imagination George Heere and sank deeper into the inky blackness of his mind.

* * *

 

            The next time Jeremy was coherent, he heard faint sniffling sounds echoing through the dark void. He didn’t recognize the sound.

            “Jer-Jeremy…please wake up…*sniff*…this is all my fault…I shouldn’t have taken you there…I shouldn’t have let you leave…I’m so sorry…,” the voice sobbed.

            If Jeremy had been awake, he would have frowned in confusion. He couldn’t distinguish who the voice belonged to.

He then felt a hard squeeze on his hand, along with a gentle caress to his face. Jeremy felt a tingle shoot down his spine, and then knew who the voice belonged to.

            “I’m sorry baby…I’m so sorry…,” Will continued. “My fault…all of it…”.

            Jeremy wanted to deny his claims. His shoulder felt wet and heavy. Will must have been leaning on him. He wanted to wipe the tears from his eyes and tell him to quit being so hard on himself for once. Jeremy was going to be okay, or at least he thought so. Whether this was still a delusion brought on by his death, he did not know.

            Jeremy felt another squeeze of his hand and heard another sob before drifting off into the blackness again.

* * *

 

            Jeremy was brought back when a shooting pain cut across the void, which had now turned a bright red. What the hell was going on?

            Another sharp sting caused Jeremy to hear himself grunt, and the next thing he knew he was opening his eyes in shock. A bright light overhead flooded his vision, causing him to blink a few times before adjusting to the glow.

            He almost gagged as he realized tubing was inserted deep into his nose, and a plastic cylinder was settled deep inside his throat. Looking down, he saw his left leg was casted over and elevated by a high beam connected to the bed he lay in. His right arm was propped with a pillow and was casted over as well. He must look like a total train wreck.

            Light blue eyes scanned the room. His dad lay in a recliner next to him, fast asleep, his mouth hanging wide open. Loud snores came from the gaping hole, making Jeremy surprised that he hadn’t woken up from the noise alone.

            He looked over to the other side to see an empty seat. The only ones in the room right now were him and his dad. Jeremy gave a sigh, flinching when a stabbing pain erupted from his chest. He must have broken a few ribs.

            That damn SUV had done a number on him, that’s for sure.

            Anger flashed through him at the thought of what happened. Someone had tried to kill him. He was confident it had to do with Roland Squip, who else would try to do him in?

            He thought of the voices in the void and wondered if he had been delirious or if the voices had been real. If they were real, that meant Will was here. Jeremy felt a nervous excitement at the thought of seeing him again. Though he would like to see him without so many tubes and wiring connected to him.

            Jeremy traced his numerous IV lines in his left arm with his eyes. Ugh…Jeremy hated needles. It took all his energy to lift his hand up and feel his face. Bandages covered his head all the way around and cuts covered his face.

            Damn that bastard Roland…

            As if Jeremy wasn’t physically challenged as it was, he had to go and make it worse. Will had mentioned him needing more surgeries in the future. Jeremy guessed his best bet was working his ass off at physical therapy to get back into proper shape again. If he could even to that much.

            Jeremy looked at the door as a nurse walked through with a clip board in her hands. She looked over at him and stopped to stare at him in surprise.

            “Mr. Heere! You’re awake!” she said in surprise. Was he not supposed to wake up?

            “Mmmrgh,” Jeremy gurgled in reply around the breathing device in his mouth. He stared at it with irritation. The nurse pressed a button against the wall and began to check his monitors.

            A few minutes later, an older man in dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat ran in with a couple of men in scrubs behind him.

            “Hello Mr. Heere! I’m glad to see that you’re awake!” the doctor, Jeremy assumed, was looking at him with a baffled look on his face. The men behind him had similar looks on their faces.

            Really, it was as if they hadn’t expected him to have woken up at all!

            A startled snore came from his right side. He looked over to see his dad sit and look up in surprise at the doctor, then turned and made eye contact with Jeremy.

            “My God! Jeremy!” his dad cried. George leaned over and gently hugged his son with one arm. Jeremy felt a wet spot form on his head. Jeremy turned to look at the doctor in confusion.

            “Mr. He-um…Jeremy. I assume you don’t remember anything from the past month?” the doctor asked.

            A month?! He had been in that void for a month?!

            Jeremy shook his head gently in response. Flinching at the pressure the device in his mouth caused when he moved.

            “Jeremy, we had to code you two times over the course of that time. By ‘code’, I mean we had to revive your heart since it threatened to stop on two separate occasions,” the doctor explained.

            Jeremy felt the little color he had in his face disappear. He had almost died…two times!

            “We will give you a few minutes to process this information, then we’ll be back to take the pieces in your nose and mouth out,” the doctor finished, exiting the room afterwards. The men behind him and the nurse left the room, shutting the door behind them.

            “Son, you scared me half to death! Thank God!” George said in his ear while gently rubbing his good arm. Tears were in his blue eyes, the eyes Jeremy had inherited, as he gazed upon his only child’s face.

            Jeremy felt tears well up in his eyes, and he let them fall freely as he looked at his father’s face.

            Jeremy Heere was back.

            Getting the tubing out of his body was an extremely uncomfortable experience. The catheter removal he had undergone was one of the most embarrassing experiences he had ever had in his life. And that was saying a lot coming from him.

            After he had been detached from everything but his IV, he took his first few sips of water in two weeks. His voice was hoarse from the artificial breathing device, and the inside of his nose was dry from the feeding tube.

            Jeremy was currently sitting up in bed, attempting to consume a popsicle. He was finding it hard to swallow correctly, but the doctor had assured him it wouldn’t take too long to get used to eating again. His dad sat in a chair beside him, reading the sport’s section of the newspaper.

            Jeremy was about to give up on eating when he heard a commotion outside.

            “Right on time,” his dad said in amusement from behind his newspaper. Jeremy frowned when all of a sudden the door to his room burst open.

            “You kids can’t go in there ALL AT ONCE!” the nurse yelled from behind his friends.

            Michael, Christine, Jake, Rich, Jenna, Chloe, and Brooke all pushed through the door at the same time. Rich bumped into Jake’s tall form while Michael tripped over Christine’s foot. Chloe, Jenna, and Brooke were glaring at each other heatedly as they became jammed in the door while trying to get in at the same time.

            They all finally made it in despite the nurse’s protests and gave Jeremy wide grins.

            “Jeremy!”

            “Jer!”

            “Jer bear!”

            “Boyf!”

            “Home slice!”

            They all began to exclaim at once. Jeremy gave a chuckle, wincing at the pain that it caused in his chest. Christine looked at him in concern.

            “It’s fine. Broken ribs,” he said hoarsely. They all looked at him worriedly.

            “You look so much better than last time we saw you though,” Brooke remarked.

            “He still looks like shit to me,” Rich said, giving Jeremy a once over. Jake snickered in response.

            “Gee…thanks Rich,” Jeremy replied dryly.

            “He’ll be fine since his sarcasm is intact,” Michael said jokingly as he placed an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders. Jeremy rolled his eyes at him as he threw his popsicle remains in the trash.

            “As much as your bromance makes my heart flutter, I do have to say I’m glad you’re awake now Heere,” Chloe said with her arms crossed, a small smirk playing across her pretty face.

            “Thanks Chloe,” Jeremy said with a smile. Jenna gave a nod next to her.

            “Yeah, I’m telling everyone about your recovery right now! You will be the talk of the school. Coming back from the dead is going to do major wonders for your reputation! You’re like Harry Potter or something!” she said as she typed vigorously on her phone. Jeremy shook his head at her antics but let her do as she pleased.

            They all talked for an hour before the nurse came in the room with a determined look on her face.

            “Okay, it’s time for everyone to leave. There is a three-person occupancy in this unit’s rooms. All of you are exceeding it,” she said primly.

            Chloe rolled her eyes but took Brooke’s hand silently. They both said their goodbyes and walked out. Everyone else but Christine and Michael left the room after promising Jeremy they would come back later.

            “It’s good to have you back buddy,” Michael said, hugging Jeremy gently with one arm. Christine patted his good leg softly.

            “Yeah. You really gave us a fright. Especially Will,” she said. Michael gave her a look but remained silent. Jeremy was willing to bet that he was concerned Jeremy would resort back to his previous behavior at the mention of his ex.

            “So, he is in town then?” he asked quietly. They both looked at him hesitantly as they nodded.

            “Yeah, Rich and I went to New York and brought him back down. He hasn’t left your side except today. We had to force him to go home and take a shower. The guy was stinking up the room. We also told him to take a nap. The dude looks worse than you do, and that’s saying something!” Michael said.

            “Once again, thanks for reminding me that I look shitty. Glad to know I’ve got some good, honest friends around here,” Jeremy said with a shake of his head.

            “How long has he been gone?” Jeremy continued before Michael could reply to his previous comment. They could joke around later. His ex’s father just tried to murder him, and he needed to talk to Will immediately.

            “About two hours. He’s going to be mad that he wasn’t here when you woke up. We kept having to rotate one person at a time to see you because Will refused to leave the room. Your dad being here constantly was a no brainer,” Christine explained while giving Mr. Heere a tender smile, which he returned as he looked up from his paper and back down again.

            “I see,” Jeremy said. “Has he been texted that I’m up yet?”

            “I did earlier, but he hasn’t answered. Hopefully he’s asleep. Every time we came in here he was up talking to you or your dad or looking at his cell phone. Mr. Heere said he hadn’t seen him sleep either,” Michael answered.

            “He only took cat naps. The longest I saw him sleep was thirty minutes straight,” Mr. Heere added from behind his paper. “Good kid. Handsome too,” he said, leering over at Jeremy.

            Jeremy blushed and avoided eye contact with his father the best he could. He could hear Christine and Michael snickering beside him.

            “Yeah…he is a-a g-good ki- or guy! A good guy! He is a good guy I mean!” Jeremy stuttered out.

            Jeremy laid there red as a lobster with his friends and dad looking at him with amusement as the door to the room opened fiercely. They all looked up to see William Squip at the door with a disgruntled nurse behind him.

            “Hi!” Jeremy squeaked.

            _Good response Jeremy. Good to see you are still as awkward as hell!_ He thought with irritation.

            Will down at him with a watery expression before walking quickly to the side with his good arm. Michael and Christine moved quickly out of the way Will leaned down gave Jeremy a two-armed hug, his first since returning to the land of the living.

            Wincing, he did his best to ignore the uncomfortable ache in his chest and leg as Will gently embraced him. A wet spot began to form on his neck, and Jeremy heard a barely audible sniffle come from the taller boy.

            “Chris and I are going to meet the squad at the bowling alley. We’ll see you tomorrow Jer!” Michael said as he raced out of the room. Clearly escaping the awkward situation.

            “Yeah, we’ll catch up more tomorrow. Bye!” Christine said sweetly as she followed Michael out.

            Jeremy wished he had the ability to wave at them, but with Will pinning his good arm down there was no chance of that happening. Jeremy head a chair scrape against the floor. He looked over to see his dad putting his paper down and standing up.

            “I’m going to get a snack. I’ll be back in a bit,” he said with a smile. Jeremy gave him a nod, thanking him for the much-needed privacy.

            Once his dad left and closed the door, he and Will were the only ones left in the room. The nurse had since given up on her mission to keep the room maximum to three and had left upon Will rushing into the room.

            The sobs and sniffles that were once quiet now became louder. Distinct mutters were heard among the noise.

            “My fault…all my fault…so sorry,” Will said as he held Jeremy.

            Jeremy ignored the stinging in his own eyes and pulled his arm out from under Will, using it to embrace the other in a once armed hug.

            He began to slowly stroke his messy dark curls and shushed the trembling teenager on top of him.

            “This is _not_ your fault. You didn’t ask for this to happen. I don’t blame you,” Jeremy said as he continued to comfort the crying boy.

            Will continued to mutter the same thing repeatedly in moderately loud sobs, while Jeremy continued to refute his words and stroke his fingers through Will’s hair.

            After a while, Jeremy heard an abrupt snore and felt a gush of hot air hit the side of his neck. Jeremy didn’t know how Will managed it, but he was completely nestled into Jeremy’s side on the twin-sized hospital bed.

            Jeremy shifted away to get some of the extra weight off his chest, only to have Will grumble in his sleep and shift closer towards him in the bed. Jeremy moved slightly, minding his leg and got comfortable without disturbing the other. When he was done, he continued to run his fingers through the dark locks as Will slept peacefully next to him, his face in the crook of Jeremy’s neck. His arms engulfed Jeremy gently around the waist.

            Heaving a small sigh, wincing when his ribs ached, he looked down at the resting handsome face. Will looked so gaunt and tired. Jeremy felt a stab of guilt at the knowledge that him leaving had done this to the boy he loved.

            Jeremy gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and leaned his head against Will’s. A strong fatigue hit him, causing him to flutter his eyes for a few minutes before falling into a peaceful slumber.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the end! I feel like I made it seem kind of 'final', but we have to see who Will was talking to on the phone, and what the outcome with Roland will be! What does Winston got to do with it all? Madeline?! Back off! Chloe! Don't do it! She ain't worth it! :O
> 
> And we need to know if Jeremy will walk again! So much to explain! So much to write! Hope y'all enjoyed the newest chapter of SL!


	31. Badass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy and Will go to school...and Chloe wins the title of the squad's 'Badass'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness! Okay, so I found a way to 'beta' myself, which is to have the program that I write my stories on read the words back to me. The voice is male and sounds just like Steven Hawking! It was hilarious to imagine Steven Hawking saying some of the things I had written! lol You'll know what I mean when you read it! Enjoy! :D
> 
> P.S. In no way do I agree with the derogatory terms said in this chapter. They are not meant to offend, just to be a part of the story. Nothing more.

 

**3 months later**

            One leg surgery, numerous physical therapy appointments, and many pain-derived curse words later, Jeremy was ready to go back to school. Sure, he would be in a wheelchair and have two casts to worry about for who knows how long, but what was there to stress about that? Jeremy wasn’t stressed! Why would he be? All the kids staring and whispering about him, Will’s constant mother hen behavior, and his friends’ over protectiveness was nothing to be worried about!

...

Okay! It was something to be stressed about! Everything had gone to shit too fast! AND he was certainly using the words ‘stress’ in his thought process too much to be considered healthy! Despite being ‘the boy who lived’ (credit to Jenna for the Harry Potter reference), Jeremy was still Jeremy, and that meant he remained the same ball of nerves he had always been.

Getting hit by a speeding vehicle head on, being in a coma for a month, almost dying in said coma, and getting back together with his estranged boyfriend was a lot to take in all at once in a three-month period! It had taken him those three long months to come to terms with everything that had happened to him. It had crossed his mind more than a few times that none of this stuff would have happened to him if he had just said ‘no’ to William Squip all those months ago when they had first met.

Would Jeremy have done everything differently if he could go back in time?

Looking around at his old and new friends that had graciously thrown him a ‘Welcome Back’ party in the cafeteria and looking over at the boy he considered to be the love of his life, he could definitely say the answer would be a ‘no’.

He regretted nothing. Meeting Will had been the best thing to have ever happened to him, despite his boyfriend’s reservations. Getting to know Will, spending time with him, loving him, _making_ _love_ with him, were some of the most cherished memories of Jeremy’s life. He wouldn’t trade them for all the money in the world.

“…later today?” Will asked beside him. Jeremy looked over and brought himself up out of his thoughts.

“I’m sorry. I zoned out. What did you ask?” Jeremy said apologetically. Will gave a nod and repeated himself.

“I have to meet someone at the diner on Broad Street, can you come with me later today?” Will asked patiently. Since Will had come back from New York, he had been considerably nicer to not only Jeremy, but everyone else in the group. It was odd at first, but Jeremy quickly got used to it, even enjoyed it, though he missed his snarky boyfriend at times.

“Who do you have to meet?” Jeremy asked quizzically.

“You’ll see,” Will answered mysteriously as he took a bite of his sandwich.

“Secrets don’t make friends Will!” Michael said condescendingly in front of them.

“Who said I want to be friends with you Mell?” Will said with an eye roll. And there was the snarky boy Jeremy fell for! Jeremy smiled discretely to himself as Michael looked at Will with mock horror.

“Hurtful! You are so hurtful!” Michael said, leaning on Rich’s shoulder as he whimpered.

“What did he do to you babe? I’ll take care of him if you want me to!” Rich said, stroking Michael’s hair softly.

“Maybe later…,” Michael muttered as he stuck his tongue out at Will.

“Idiots,” Jeremy heard his boyfriend mutter as he took another bite of his sandwich.

Jeremy snickered and laid a hand on Will’s knee, giving it a light squeeze of comfort. Will softened his gaze as he glanced over at him, putting down his food and returning the affection by squeezing Jeremy’s hand.

There had been many personal conversations between them since their reunion. Will rarely left Jeremy’s side, and was now a permanent resident at Jeremy’s house. George Heere did not fear about the boy’s sex lives as Jeremy was as far from being able to perform such an act as he could get. Jeremy doubted even a hand job would be enjoyable at this point thanks to all the medication he was currently taking. Some of them included the side effect of decreased libido, an effect that Jeremy had unfortunately gained. It was for the best, however, as Jeremy doubted his over-protective boyfriend would dare to satisfy him in such a way because of his current health state.

George Heere allowed William Squip to move in with them on a temporary basis. Will was there as a second care taker and emotional supporter for Jeremy while he was unable to care for himself like normal. This was especially convenient since Will had officially cut ties with his family and their money. The ultimate goal being to separate himself from his father as much as possible.

Initially, Jeremy had felt guilty for this, but Will had assured him that this was the best decision he had ever made for himself.

“It took almost losing you to make me realize it,” Will had told him during one of their late-night hospital talks. “I- We don’t need him in our lives. It would only get worse when he found out you were still alive. I called someone to take care of him for us, so we don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

Who that someone was, Jeremy had no clue. Jeremy did not, however, miss the way Will said ‘we’ in his sentence. The phrasing made Jeremy tingle all over. It implied a future. A future with him and Will together.

Jeremy smiled to himself again as he unclasped his hand from Will’s knee and clumsily brought his left hand up to take a bite of his pudding. Since Will’s return, both boys’ appetites had come back with vengeance. Jeremy felt hungry all the time now. Just today he had gone through three muffins, two hotdogs, a roll of sushi (courtesy of Michael), a large order of fries, an apple, and five chocolate pudding cups he had stashed in his bag from home. It was safe to say, any weight he had lost was now gained back, if not more.

Will continued his healthy eating regimen but did make allowances for pizza and soda every now and then, and pistachio ice cream, of course. His weight had gradually come back as well, causing his clothes to fit better than before. Will had also taken up to shaving regularly again as well. Jeremy’s man had never looked more handsome!

After he finished his pudding, Jeremy took hold of Will’s hand once again. The other squeezed gently back as he listened to something Jake was telling him on his other side. Jeremy brought his attention back to Michael and Rich’s conversation over 90s pop music (“Dude! It was amazing!”, “Rich babe, we’re gonna have to break up now.”) when he heard a high-pitched voice behind them.

“It’s good to see you’re well Jeremy! These past few months you’ve been looking a little peaky!” Madeline said as she strolled up beside him, false worry evident in her tone.

“I can’t imagine what would make you think that! What gave it away? The gigantic casts on my leg and arm? The cuts on my face? Or was it the wheelchair? Do tell, because you clearly have excellent observational skills that the others around me don’t,” Jeremy said, his voice filled to the brim with sarcasm. Michael snickered in front of him. Madeline gave the boy in red a glare. Rich bowed up next to him, his own glare aimed straight back at her.

“Whatever! So much for my being nice on asking about your well-being!” she said as she turned her attention back on Jeremy. “I was just inquiring after your health, especially since you’ve been having to go through those awful therapy sessions,” she added.

Therapy? What did she care about his physical therapy work? Jeremy looked at her in confusion. He felt Will’s arm come around his shoulder protectively and noticed the rest of his friends begin to scowl at her. What was the big deal? It was just physical work to build his strength back?

“I mean, I can’t imagine what kind of emotional pain you must be going through!” she said loudly. Other people around their table began to stare, causing Jeremy to shift uncomfortably.

“Hearing people talk about doing it is one thing, but actually going through with it! It’s just surprising is all,” she said with fake concern, slightly smirking at the attention she was beginning to generate.

Jeremy was beyond confused at this point. Physical therapy was surprising? He thought it would be obvious that he would need it in his condition. She wasn’t THAT stupid. His friends’ expressions were stony as they cast looks of worry towards Jeremy and hateful glances at Madeline. Weird.

“What are you talking about? I think it’s obvious that physical therapy is needed considering my situation,” he answered, indicating his broken limbs with his good hand. Madeline frowned and shook her head.

“Not physical therapy, your _other_ therapy. You know, the one that is helping with your bigger issue,” she said, tapping her head lightly.

Jeremy frowned, not fully understanding, until he saw people begin to take on looks of shock and frantic whispers were heard around the cafeteria. _Therapy,_ Jeremy thought before he turned pale in realization.

Michael gave a growl in front of him. “Get the hell out of here!” he said loudly. “That isn’t true. Stop with the lies!”

“None of that is true! It would have been explained in my Jeremy Heere update feed if it was!” Jenna exclaimed to the crowd around them, attempting to help. Some began to nod at her, clearly taking her word for it since she was the school’s information network. Others merely ignored her in favor of listening to Madeline drone on. Will’s hold tightened.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of! I mean, I bet there are plenty of teens who want to step out in front of moving vehicles occasionally! I’m not one of them, but I’m sure there are stories out there of people like you, so don’t think you’re alone in your feelings Jeremy,” she said sweetly, her eyes malicious in intent.

Jeremy was about to choke. That was what people thought? They thought he had tried to off himself?! His face drained of all color, his blue eyes looking at her blankly. The room was abuzz with whispers, many people were staring at him sympathetically. Jeremy wanted to vomit.

“Depression hurts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things worth living for Jer!” Madeline finished, a saccharine smile on her face.

“Do NOT call him ‘Jer’! You aren’t friends! Only friends get to call him that!” Christine said, uncharacteristically angry. Her small body was shaking with fury.

“She’s just trying to be supportive!” a girl behind their table said.

“Yeah Canigula, chill!” a boy across the room yelled.

“I can see I’m not wanted. I was just worried is all,” Madeline said with a pout, but smirked as she turned away triumphantly. The room continued to thrive with hushed whispers and sad looks in Jeremy’s direction.

Jeremy turned towards their table and remained quiet. Will gave his shoulder a soft squeeze of support. If his damn leg worked he could have walked out of this situation, but as it was, he was stuck.

“That bitch,” Rich muttered heatedly.

“As if those cops weren’t enough,” Jake replied bitterly.

“What cops?” Jeremy asked blankly, his voice devoid of emotion.

The table grew quiet. Jeremy noticed Will look at them in confusion. They all avoided eye contact with him the best they could. Jeremy stared Michael down, knowing he would be the easiest for him to break. A minute passed by before he succeeded.

“We agreed not to tell you because I didn’t want you to get upset. We didn’t tell Will either because we knew he would tell you, so don’t blame him,” Michael said quietly. The group leaned in so those around could not hear them.

“Go on,” Jeremy said to Michael. His friend sighed and reluctantly continued.

“When the…accident happened, and you were in the operating room, a couple of cops came in. They asked us questions about what happened. I thought they were there to find out who hit you, but they were really trying to figure out if…you were suicidal or not,” Michael spat out.

Jeremy felt himself grow cold.

“We told them it wasn’t true, but I don’t think they believed us,” Christine said.

“I told them about our pact Jeremy,” Michael said softly. Rich looked over at him in confusion. “I know that was supposed to be between us, but I was willing to admit to anything just so they didn’t think that about you!”

Jeremy gave a slow nod. “Explains why my dad was yelling on the phone after I woke up,” he said finally. They all stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

“I didn’t understand what the conversation was about at the time, but he was telling them things like ‘my son isn’t like that’ and ‘he’s coming straight home with me’. I should have noticed then. He was trying to stop them from taking me to a psych unit. Guess he succeeded,” Jeremy said calmly. The group looked at him with worry, except Chloe.

“It’s okay. Though it’s not ideal, the rumors will go away soon enough when the next thing happens,” she said wisely as she looked down at her phone while typing.

They all gave hesitant nods and waited for the bell to ring. None of them were very hungry anymore. The whispers and stares continued as the clang resounded throughout the room. Everyone except Jeremy stood up.

Will looped his backpack around his arms and grabbed onto Jeremy’s chair. Will had been taking him to and from most of his classes. When he couldn’t be there because of his schedule, one of his other friends helped him out.

After leaving the cafeteria, the two boys silently made their way towards the auditorium where Jeremy spent his free period watching Christine bustle around the prop room. Will had an excuse to miss the first few minutes of gym since he was taking that time to take Jeremy to his free period location.

“Don’t listen to what they say. Valentine was right, it’ll all blow over soon,” Will muttered from behind him.

“I know,” Jeremy nodded, “I just feel uncomfortable with all the stares.” It didn’t feel too great that this rumor hit too close to home either.

“What did Michael mean when he talked about a ‘pact’?” Will asked. Jeremy frowned.

“It was something from junior high that happened between Michael and I. Not even Christine knows about it,” Jeremy said reluctantly. He really didn’t want to talk about this right now.

“Oh?” Will responded.

Jeremy knew he wanted the story, but Jeremy was hesitant to tell him. Why? Jeremy guessed it was shameful embarrassment on his part. Admitting such things made him feel weak. He already felt wimpy most of the time and clung on to the darkest part of his past in hopes that doing so would make it disappear. If the worst of him disappeared, then maybe he could become stronger. Even just a little strength would make all the difference to Jeremy.

“You aren’t going to tell me,” Will stated. There was a hint of sadness behind all the indifference in his tone. Jeremy had unwittingly hurt his boyfriend’s feelings.

“No…I mean yeah…I will. Just not now. I would like to talk about it somewhere more private, and at a better time,” Jeremy said. Will did not reply as they continued their trek to the prop room.

Once there, Will opened the door and pushed Jeremy inside. Christine looked up from sorting through costume dresses and gave them both a smile.

“Hey! I’m almost done sorting through these, then we can pick out accessories for the next play together Jer!” she said excitedly.

“Great,” he answered with a nod.

 _Oh joy,_ he thought to himself. Will chuckled under his breath as he noticed Jeremy’s enthusiasm, or lack thereof. Christine seemed to believe him as she looked back down at her organized chaos of rhinestones and frills.

“We will talk later,” Will said as he leaned down and kissed Jeremy’s forehead before leaving the room.

Jeremy sighed at Will’s words and looked down at the work ahead of him and his friend as Christine chattered about the upcoming play rehearsal.

* * *

 

Will wheeled Jeremy outside at the end of the school day. Their friends conversed around them as they made their way to the student parking lot. Multiple people turned to give Jeremy sympathetic looks as he was pushed by.

Ever since that moment in the cafeteria, people had been coming up to Jeremy throughout the day to ‘console’ him in his moment of need. Some tried to relate to him while others gave him gentle pats on the back with words of comfort.

Needless to say, Jeremy was exhausted at this point. He was quickly growing tired of these encounters and was ready to go home.

The group headed to Will’s black 2014 Camry.

_“I have money invested in all sorts of places that my father doesn’t know about Jeremy,” Will had told him when he bought the used car, “It’s the oldest car I’ve ever owned,” Will had added as Jeremy discretely rolled his eyes. Rich people._

As Will locked Jeremy’s wheelchair in place, a disgruntled voice was heard approaching them. They all turned to look at the source of the noise.

“How dare you Chloe Valentine!” Madeline shrieked as she made her way towards the pretty brunette talking to Brooke.

“What do you want Lancaster?” Chloe asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Don’t play dumb! I know it was you who told Ryan about me and Mark!” she fumed.

“Why would I care about your two-timing relationship? I have better things to focus on,” Chloe answered as she wrapped an arm around Brooke’s waist, causing the blonde to blush.

“Oh please, who else could have known except you?! And your pig friend Rolan!” she said angrily as she glared at Jenna, who turned red at the mention of her weight.

“Shut up Lancaster. Talk about my friends like that and I’ll mess your face up,” Chloe said icily. Jeremy shifted, along with his other friends (except Will) as they watched the two girls.

“Whatever, you’re more talk than bite! If you think screwing up my relationships is revenge, you have another thing coming. I was planning on breaking up with those two anyway. They were starting to bore me,” she said dismissively with a flick of her hair.

She turned her gaze on Jeremy and Will.

“It was a pity my plans to run you off didn’t work Will. Heere’s depressive phase was starting to cheer me up after your rejection. Oh well though, it worked to my advantage with the whole ‘suicide attempt’ rumor anyway,” she said flippantly. “Anyone who knows Heere would know he wouldn’t have the guts to take his own life!”

“Fuck off,” Will said threateningly, his knuckles turning white as he grasped the handles of Jeremy’s wheelchair.

“Gladly,” she responded, but added, “Before I go I would just like to say that it is a shame your father didn’t do you both in like I thought when I told him through my dad about your homo relationship. The whole ‘hit and run’ thing was a bit dramatic for my taste, but it did a pretty decent job in the long run I guess,” she said while looking Jeremy up and down with satisfaction.

“I was hoping for you to leave permanently, but this will have to do I suppose. Honestly, a nerd like you disappearing wouldn’t have made much of a difference in anyone’s life,” she said nastily before turning to walk away.

Jeremy felt a dark heaviness pressing down on him as she finished speaking. _‘A nerd like you disappearing wouldn’t have made much of a difference in anyone’s life’,_ echoed throughout his mind. Jeremy felt past feelings start to bubble up to the surface, and he heard a voice he hadn’t heard in a few years speak.

_She’s right Jeremy. No one would have noticed if you had died. You should have died. Things would have been better for everyone if you would have Jeremy! Nobody cares Jeremy, just end it!_

The eerie voice spoke hateful words, causing Jeremy to feel as if he would be crushed by them at any second. He was so preoccupied by the voice and his own self-loathing thoughts, that he almost didn’t notice the blur that sped past him and towards the blonde walking away from them.

            It was a moment of slow motion as Chloe Valentine threw herself onto Madeline Lancaster’s turned back, causing both girls to fall onto the rough pavement of the student parking lot. The few people milling about turned to watch in shock as Chloe began to pull at fake blonde hair and forcefully punch at Madeline’s shrieking face.

            “WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TALKING SHIT ABOUT MY FRIENDS LANCASTER! I TOLD YOU I WOULD MESS YOUR FACE UP YOU BITCH!” Chloe yelled as she continued her onslaught on the girl trapped beneath her body.

            “GET OFF ME YOU PSYCHO!” Madeline cried out, tears running down her cheeks as Chloe scratched and hit at the girl’s exposed face.

            Hearing the screams must have gotten rid of the initial shock, as Jake, Rich, and Michael ran towards the girls. Will, for his part, stood behind Jeremy with a smug look on his face. He refused to hit girls, one of the few ethical codes he held to, and seeing Chloe do what he wanted to do gave him the utmost satisfaction. Why should he stop what fate had designed to happen to the blonde tramp currently being pummeled by an enraged Chloe Valentine?

            Jake grabbed Chloe from behind while Michael held Madeline down, so she wouldn’t get up and come after Chloe herself. Rich focused on Chloe’s flailing legs, both of which made contact with Madeline’s rumpled back before he could stop them.

            When they finally pried her off, Michael helped Madeline up off the pavement. After getting up, she glared at Chloe with a red face full of hatred.

            Chloe had definitely won the fight. Madeline’s once beautiful face was now covered in bruises (that weren’t going away anytime soon) and scratches. There was going to be a lot of facial swelling in her future. Blood ran from her nose, though it didn’t appear broken. The pristine clothes she once wore were now soiled with bits of pavement and dirt. Her long, tan legs were now scraped and bloody as the rest of her since she had been wearing a short skirt. The fake blonde tresses she had styled to perfection had been torn and pulled in disarray. Drool hung from the corner of her mouth, and her bottom lip appeared to be busted. Chloe looked disheveled, but otherwise there was nothing else that showed she had been in a fight.

            Brooke ran over to Chloe and gave her a hug.

            “Chlo, please calm down. You’re scaring me,” she said calmly, putting a cool hand against her furious girlfriend’s cheek gently. Chloe looked down at the shorter girl and took a few deep breaths before relaxing her body. She then pulled a mirror out of the purse she had thrown at Brooke before charging Madeline and began to examine her messed up hair as if nothing else had happened. Brooke gave a sigh of relief and released her hold on Chloe.

            Madeline gave a snarling shriek as she attempted to go after the distracted brunette, but failed as Michael held onto her tightly.

            “YOU DAMN DIKE! HOW DARE YOU! I’M GOING TO RUIN YOU, YOU HEAR ME! I’M GOING TO RUIN YOUR LIFE CHLOE VALENTINE!” she screeched. “LET ME GO YOU FAGGOT!”

            Ripping herself out of Michael’s grasp, she stomped away and shrieked at whoever she saw with a cell phone filming the scene. When she was gone from sight, the group turned to look at the girl who now looked as she did before she decided to beat the hell out of Madeline Lancaster.

            When she noticed the stares, Chloe looked up and flipped her hair behind her shoulders.

            “The bitch had it coming,” she said coldly. Without another word, she took Brooke by the hand and walked off. Jenna followed, uncharacteristically quiet, behind quickly.

            The remaining boys looked at one another blankly.

            “Damn…just…damn,” Rich said.

            “Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Jake responded.

            “Chloe Valentine is badass. Sorry babe, she takes the title of our group’s ‘badass’. I know you wanted the title, but Chloe has earned it,” Michael said in awe as he placed an arm over Rich’s shoulder.

            “I’m not going to argue that,” Rich agreed. Both Will and Jeremy nodded along with him.

            “Is it too late to say that I’m the one that told Ryan about Madeline cheating on him with Mark?” Christine asked. Jeremy had forgotten that she was even there, she had been so quiet.

            Will began to snicker, then laugh aloud. Everyone began to follow his lead, including Christine.

            _Good Lord, what a day,_ Jeremy thought as he laughed till tears sprang to his eyes.

             

           

           

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...Chloe has got guts. I know she is supposed to be a insensitive, popular girl who likes to talk behind people's backs, but I wanted to make her a girl who doesn't only bark, but bites as well. I had a lot of fun (more than I would like to admit) writing that fight scene. I have never been in a fight, but I witnessed some in school when I was younger between girls, so I guess those were my inspiration. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :D


	32. Silver Lining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Resolutions occur.

 

            “Will, will you unlock the wheelchair for me on my right?” Jeremy asked, only to laugh after he said it. Will frowned at him in confusion as he did as Jeremy asked.

            “What’s so funny?” Will asked perplexed.

            “Y’know, ‘Will, will’, I can’t believe I haven’t said that till today!” Jeremy snickered as Will rolled his eyes.

            “I think your pain medication is making you delirious,” he stated as he wheeled Jeremy up onto the sidewalk towards the diner where they were to meet Will’s mysterious friend. Well… Will hadn’t said that it was a ‘friend’, but Jeremy was grasping at straws at this point. As far as he knew Will had burned all his bridges connected to his father’s company, and that meant his rich society counterparts too. Jeremy couldn’t fathom who Will would take _him_ to meet.

            After successfully navigating him inside Will scanned the diner until he saw someone he recognized. He wheeled Jeremy to a back table, ignoring the lingering looks of the women they passed. Jeremy felt shock go through him as he caught sight of the person they were heading towards.

            Winston stood up as they approached, moving a chair to make room for Jeremy’s portable one. Will moved his legs under the table and took a seat in front of Winston. Jeremy sat in between them at the small circular table.

            Jeremy had to admit, he looked good in casual clothes. He wore a forest green sweater that brought out the green of his eyes with dark-washed jeans and brown dress shoes. Winston dressed as impeccably as Will did apparently.

            “Well, well, it seems Mr. Squip did a number on you Jeremy,” he said with a hint of amusement, though Jeremy didn’t get the feeling that he thought Jeremy’s current state was funny. Jeremy judged this by the hard look in his eyes and the thinning of his lips that formed a grimace as his eyes observed Jeremy’s appearance.

            “The old man doesn’t pull his punches, that’s for sure,” he continued with an arched brow.

            “I think it’s time to stop stating the obvious and get down to business,” Will said with annoyance. Winston gave a small smile and nodded.

            “Always about the business, huh Will?” Winston smiled. Will gave him an eye roll in response.

            “Here are the papers that I served to him the other day,” Winston said while sliding a packet of papers across the table to Will. The latter picked up the packet and began to examine its contents, his brows furrowed in concentration. Winston turned to Jeremy with a look of interest.

            “So, how have you been doing since we last met Jeremy? Y’know, besides the near-death experience stuff?” he asked while leaning his head against one of his hands while the other lay still on the table.

            “Fine. Y’know, besides the obvious injuries all over my body and stuff,” Jeremy replied in the same nonchalant tone as Winston. He raised his casted arm to prove his point. Winston nodded with a wry smile.

            “Did he threaten to take you to court?” Will asked abruptly, putting down the papers and sliding them back to Winston.

            “Of course. Though he withdrew his denials when I filed him with the paternity papers AND countless documents implicating him with several under the table deals. Many of these deals had many similarities, including evidence to suggest that he was involved with the other partys’ business rivals as well,” Winston stated.

            “So, no matter what company lost out wouldn’t matter, since he was involved with both parties anyway,” Will said bitterly.

            “I have to say, I’m impressed. He always knew how to play the field,” Winston said after giving a low whistle.

            “If you mean playing with other people’s livelihoods, then yes, he was good at that,” Will replied. Winston shrugged as if he didn’t care which way it was put.

            “You always did have his unethical viewpoint on business. I can’t imagine how since I’m certain that it isn’t genetic,” Will said shaking his head gently. Jeremy frowned.

            “We are talking about Roland Squip, your dad, right?” Jeremy asked in confusion.

            “The title ‘dad’ isn’t really the word to call him Jeremy. ‘Dad’ states that I had some sort of emotional connection with him, but the word ‘father’ conveys that, yes, he was my biological predecessor,” Will said cryptically.

            “Okay, we ARE talking about your FATHER, but what do you mean when you are talking about paternity papers and business deals?” he inquired with annoyance. Winston chuckled at his side.

            “What Will is reluctant to explain is that a few days after your…incident…I made a visit to Roland Squip with my attorney. With Will’s permission I finally gave him his comeuppance,” Winston said with a hardened jaw. Jeremy frowned even more deeply.

            “I’m still not getting it. What do you mean his ‘comeuppance’?” he asked. Winston looked at him like he was looking at a three-year-old child.

            “I mean I gave him the proof that he was indeed my biological father,” Winston said, a cold look forming in his green eyes.

            Jeremy stared at him in shock. “That means you two are brothers?!” Jeremy exclaimed. It really did explain a lot. They both looked quite similar, and had the same way of talking, and their mannerisms were pretty close to the same, and…well…Jeremy should have realized when he had first met Winston at the party in New York a few months back.

            “I can’t believe I didn’t see that coming,” Jeremy said in surprise.

            “Well, don’t feel too bad, our own dear father wasn’t even for sure until I gave him the evidence of it,” Winston said with amusement. “I believe that he did know, he just never acknowledged it. It would explain why he was okay with making me a successor to SQE instead of Will when the time came,” he continued to explain.

            “He wasn’t too happy when I revealed the paternity papers as blackmail in return for his earlier than expected retirement. I also gave him evidential papers of his misdeeds with past clients. He wouldn’t want those getting in the wrong hands any time soon. If he cares about anything, it is the company. If those papers made it to his clients, SQE’s stocks would fall in the market within a few days, if not less,” Winston finished.

            Jeremy took a minute to process this information. Will hadn’t mentioned a word about any of this. Jeremy looked over at Will with accusation in his eyes. Will noticed and sighed.

            “You were…still are recovering. I didn’t want you to be concerned,” he explained. Jeremy gave him an aggravated huff but said nothing.

            “So you chose to take me here and tell me all this now?” Jeremy asked with a pout. He heard Winston snickering.

            “I didn’t want to continue keeping it from you, and you also seemed to be feeling better lately,” he said with a hint of pink in his cheeks.

            “Damn straight you had better told me, you shouldn’t have kept it from me in the first place!” he said in admonishment. Will looked down sulkily. Jeremy gave a huff and repositioned himself in his seat.

            “How long have you known you were related?” Jeremy asked Will.

            “Two years ago,” Will replied blankly. “Win came to me with the idea of taking over our father’s company through blackmail. Of course, I was dubious until he showed me the paternity test. I refused to act out his plan at the time since it wouldn’t be too long before I inherited SQE. I also didn’t want him taking over the company. I have to admit, it was only my pride that prevented from all of this happening sooner.”

            Will’s expression turned dark as he continued, “At least, I was going to wait, until I met you, fell in love with you, and then he went ahead and hurt you.”

            “So, how long did you know?” Jeremy asked looking over at Winston while he took Will’s hand with his good one and squeezed it in comfort.

            “I was sixteen, so about ten years ago,” Winston replied glibly.

            “I overheard the man I had called father all my life throw my mother’s infidelity in her face during one of their fights. Not the best way to find out, trust me. I don’t know the specifics, but apparently my mother and Roland had a secret affair for a few years without Will’s mother or my ‘father’s’ knowledge. It was a devastating blow to his pride, but he used it to his advantage to blackmail Roland for a number of years. This included numerous advances in pay and vacation days. The man has been leeching off Roland for many years now,” Winston explained.

            “I have to say, I was super pissed when I found out. It felt like I had been robbed of a fortune. I was really jealous of this guy in the beginning,” he said pointing his thumb at Will.

            “Nothing to be jealous of,” Will muttered bitterly and Winston nodded.

            “Yeah, that black eye was something I did not envy,” he said with a hard look in his eye. “You were only ten.”

            Jeremy shifted uncomfortably at the thought of Will being hurt in any capacity. Will shook his head slowly.

            “You should have seen my x-ray results,” he said while Winston gave a scowl.

            “You should have let me serve him these papers sooner. It would have saved a lot of hospital visits,” he admonished. Will shrugged.

            “I thought I could handle it on my own, and I did. Jeremy being hurt, however, was a different story,” he said stubbornly. He looked over at Jeremy’s wheelchair sadly. They still didn’t know how Jeremy’s ability to walk was affected. Jeremy had one more leg surgery, then he could begin physical therapy. The arm sling was to be taken off next week, and Jeremy’s face had been completely healed towards the end of the second month. Jeremy was ready to take everything off and get out of the wheelchair he was confined to. He didn’t only want to be independent again, but he wanted Will to quit making that sad expression every time he looked at him.

            “Yeah, yeah…we know you’re in love. We get it,” Winston said with amusement. Jeremy smiled at the exasperated expression that went along with it as Will squeezed Jeremy’s hand gently.

            They ordered something to eat and began to talk about less serious matters, then departed the diner.

            Winston looked over at them both and grinned.

            “You know you always have a position waiting for you at SQE Will. Even if I’m in charge now, I won’t hesitate to give you a chance of leading the company. You deserve it after all the bullshit you’ve been through,” Winston said kindly. Will shook his head.

            “I’ll hold you to having a position, but not as the company’s head. Taking over was only a means to an end since father refused to expand the company. I only ask for a management position that will enable me to work on expanding SQE,” he said.

            “Fine, be stubborn, but I won’t quit pressuring you. I need someone with your brains and business prowess by my side. I also trust you, which can’t be said for most people I am familiar with,” Winston warned.

            “I wouldn’t expect any less from you,” Will replied with a wry smile that Winston returned. Jeremy could tell the similarities in their features instantly. How he hadn’t noticed before, Jeremy had no clue.

            “Take care Jeremy. Call if you need anything, or if you get tired of my brother!” Winston said with a cheeky grin and a waved as he turned and headed towards his car. Will glared at his back and gave a huff.

            “Bastard,” he muttered underneath his breath. Jeremy smiled and shook his head in exasperation.

            “Let’s go home,” he told Will, who nodded and led them towards their own car.

* * *

 

**Post-High School Graduation, 2 months later**

“Is this the last of them?” Jeremy called from the bedroom.

            “Yeah, the others are here in the kitchen,” Will responded.

            Jeremy gave an unconscious nod even though he knew Will couldn’t see him. He bent down and picked up a box off the floor and put it on he and Will’s king-sized bed. Once he opened it, he began to take out the various shoes and clothes piled in the box. He then proceeded to put the contents neatly in their walk-in closet. Afterwards, he discarded the box in the ‘empty box pile’ that he had created.

            After organizing their room, he took the empty boxes and walked into the kitchen past Will and put the boxes in the trash bin outside. Once he made it back into the kitchen, he came face to face with an annoyed William Squip.

            “I told you to wait and let me move the boxes. The stairs are too much for you right now,” he scolded. Jeremy groaned and gave him a glare.

            “I’m fine. The physical therapist told me I could handle moderate activity. I didn’t break a sweat doing any of that just now,” Jeremy complained. Sure, his leg got stiff more easily if he sat too long, and he had a barely noticeable limp when walking, but he could still function without his boyfriend breathing down his neck every time he exerted himself the tiniest bit.

            “Going up and down a flight of stairs frequently is a little bit more than ‘moderate’,” he said while squinting his eyes at his noncompliant boyfriend.

            “No fast walking, no sex, no going up and down stairs by myself, you’ve taken the fun out of everything!” Jeremy said with irritation as he left the room with a huff, throwing his hands up in the air in the process.

            An hour later, Will found him outside on the deck facing the river. Jeremy was peacefully sketching the river and land that stretched beyond it. He had just begun to add in the sky when Will sat down beside him quietly.

            “I’m sorry,” he muttered. Jeremy closed his eyes and sighed.

            “It’s okay. I just…want to be able to do things by myself now. I’m able to, and the doctors AND therapists have given me the go ahead already. As long as I don’t try to run a 5K anytime soon, I’ll be fine,” Jeremy said. He put his sketch pad down and looked over at the sullen man next to him.

            “I know that…I guess I’m just paranoid. The last time I left you…it didn’t turn out that well,” he said, looking down sadly. Jeremy sighed again and leaned against his shoulder.

            “All of that is behind us. I promise, if something is too difficult, or I think I’ll get hurt in any way, I’ll let you know,” Jeremy said. Will nodded.

            They sat in comfortable silence as the waves of the river moved gently along in front of them. The sunlight gleamed against the dark waters, casting a glare across Jeremy’s face. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the heat of the sun on his face. The air blew lightly across both men as they enjoyed one another’s company.

            Jeremy loved this house. Sure, it was huge, but it had character and was beginning to feel like home. Will had spent a lot of money to buy it, and with Winston’s financial assistance as well, had managed to procure the Squip’s Red Bank home at a decent amount from Roland, who was currently spending his retirement in Europe. The farther the man was away from them the better. After a few choice words between them over the phone, Will had successfully cut ties with his abusive father months ago much to Jeremy’s relief.

            They were both going to be going to a local university in the fall. Will was going to major in business while Jeremy was going into graphic design. Winston had guaranteed them both careers at SQE in the future, so their choice in university mattered little. Will had thought about going to Columbia or Brown but decided to take it easy since he had spent most of his life overworking himself.

            _“I just want to act my age for once. I want to have time to be with you and the others. I want to eat pizza and watch movies on Friday nights. I want to be able to fall asleep next to you every night without interruption. I want to experience things I haven’t gotten to before when I was under my father’s control. You’re going to have to be my guide in this Jeremy. I’ll admit, I’m a little scared. But, I’m also excited that I get to take control of my life for this first time.”_

_“I’ll be here with you every step of the way. I promise,” Jeremy replied as he wrapped his arms around Will, who returned the embrace fervently._

            “We never talked about that pact you made with Michael,” Will said. Jeremy opened his eyes and focused on the present.

            “Yeah. We’ve had a lot going on recently. I honestly forgot about promising to tell you about it,” Jeremy admitted sheepishly. Will remained silent, giving Jeremy time to gather his thoughts.

            “I…almost committed suicide when I was fourteen,” Jeremy admitted. He felt Will stiffen against him, but he continued. “I’ve had anxiety and depression for many years now. There were…voices…that I heard also. They told me things like what your father used to tell you. They aren’t as bad as it used to be back then. The last I heard them was when Madeline said that stuff about me not mattering to anyone in the parking lot. I haven’t heard them since though,” Jeremy admitted. He didn’t like talking about it, but he knew it was important that he tell Will these things. Jeremy didn’t want any more secrets between them.

            “One day after school, I was home alone since both my parents were at work. They had both been fighting badly and the bullying at school had gotten worse. I thought it was the end of the world,” Jeremy laughed humorlessly. “The voices told me that Michael and Christine were better off without me, and that my parents would be happier if I was gone too. I felt so alone. I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and was about to…well, y’know, when my dad came into the house, so, I put it back and never thought about it again. I don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t taken off early from work,” Jeremy admitted.

            “A few weeks later, I caught Michael cutting himself. It was an accident. I walked into the boy’s bathroom during class and found him using a razor he had stolen from his dad. It was a big shock. One of my best friends had been treating his arms like slabs of meat, and I had no clue. We both talked about our feelings of anxiety and depression, and I told him about my attempt to end my life, and how I still felt like doing it sometimes. Michael said he felt that way too sometimes,” he said. Will put an arm around Jeremy’s shoulder and held him close as he spoke.

            “We made a pact that if either one of us felt that we wanted to end our lives, then we would tell the other. NO exceptions. That was why Michael was mad about the suicide rumors and what the police told him. He wouldn’t accept it as an answer because I hadn’t told him about feeling that way, which I wasn’t. I’ll admit, I felt depressed about…breaking up with you, but I promised myself that I would never try to do anything like that again no matter what,” Jeremy finished.

            Will leaned his head against Jeremy’s shoulder and hugged him. Jeremy leaned towards him, reciprocating the affection.

            “I’m sorry,” he said. Jeremy frowned.

            “For what?” he asked.

            “For treating you like I did when we first met. I’m sorry about Michael too, but I won’t tell him since he’ll get a big head about it if I do,” he said, causing Jeremy to chuckle.

            “You didn’t know. It’s not a big deal.”

            “Yes it was. I could have caused you to hurt yourself, or worse, by saying those things! Then we would have never gotten to know one another, nothing that has happened between us would have happened! I would still be under my father’s control. The rest of my life would have been planned to last miniscule detail, and I would have gone along with it because I thought that was what was right. So, yes, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you. No wonder you were so pissed when I propositioned you in the beginning,” he exclaimed in a rush.

            “You give yourself too much credit. If only a few mean comments from you is what it took to make me kill myself, then Rich Goranski would have done the job a while ago,” he said with a mirthless chuckle. Will stiffened at Jeremy’s bluntness, but said nothing in reply.

            “I’m okay now, there isn’t anything in my life that I regret, and I know there are people that care about me. As long as I continue thinking like this, I’ll be more than fine,” Jeremy said with a smile.

            “You’re a lot stronger than me, y’know. I never thought about escaping my fate, I just accepted it as an inevitability. You ticked me off when I first met you because you were trying hard just to make it through the day. You never gave up no matter what was said to you. You even accepted help from ME just so you could supposedly better yourself. I was too afraid of disobeying my father to do any of that. I didn’t even have a right to proposition you that day. I couldn’t even help myself, so why did I expect to help you or your friends? I was just a hypocrite,” Will said.

            “Don’t be hard on yourself. You may have been like that in the past, but you’re changing now, and that is what matters the most. Just watch, you’ll get more and more independent with each passing moment. Then one day you’ll wake up to find that you don’t even remember the person you were before. It’ll all be in the past. Trust me, I know from experience,” Jeremy explained. He felt that he had changed a great deal since meeting Will.

            Will groaned and tightened his embrace.

            “What?” Jeremy asked.

            “You know, I really want to have sex with you right now,” Will said. Jeremy flushed a deep red at the words.

            “W-Where d-did THAT c-come f-from? That’s so random!” Jeremy said in embarrassment, turning his head away from Will to hide his blush.

            “It’s not random. When you say sappy emotional things I get turned on.”

            “Since when has that been a thing?” Jeremy asked in confusion. “I’ve never noticed that before!”

            “I’m just good at hiding it!” Will said, his face taking on a pink hue. “Come on!”

            Will stood and scooped Jeremy up from his seat on the patio couch. Jeremy became even more flustered.

            “W-what are you doing?!” he asked in surprise.

            “Taking you to our bedroom,” Will replied as he carried Jeremy inside the house.

            “What?! I thought you said no sex?!” Jeremy asked, tightening his hold around Will’s neck.

            “And I thought you said you could handle moderate exercise, but I think it’ll be a little bit more than moderate, we’ll find out when we get there,” Will said lightly.

            “What the hell?!” Jeremy laughed as Will opened the door to their room and closed it behind them.

                      *

                      *

            Jeremy Heere still considered himself a nerd. He still acknowledged that he was gangly and awkward. His face still went red when he was nervous, his stomach still hurt when he got anxious, and he still got sweaty when trying to make big decisions. Despite all this, Jeremy now knew that it was okay to be all these things, because they were what made him who he was. Will and his friends liked who he was, and most importantly, he liked who he was.

            Jeremy Heere knew that on days where he didn’t like himself that he had people who could remind him of the things that he did like. And he knew that Will would always be one of those people. After all, meeting Will had been a silver lining in itself.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I hope you enjoyed the story and had fun reading about a non-abusive Squip character. I set out to make something different, and I believe that I succeeded. I'm very proud of this piece, and am kind of sad that it is done. I may do a one-shot connected to this later, but more than likely not any time soon.  
> I was honestly surprised at the receptiveness of it since the Jeremy/Squip relationship isn't that popular, but I'm happy y'all were willing to give this story a chance. I will be starting Bonded soon, so look forward to it! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm baaaaaaack! This one will not be updated as often since finals are coming up, but I will try my best! This is obviously NOT a boyf riends or a stage dorks, BUT I promise that if you hang in there I will create an interesting angsty story. The Squip is not going to be an abusive douche, okay, he will be a douche, he's the Squip, but a misunderstood douche. I will get in to some character development and background stuff with him, so he is kind of a OC/BMC character. It'll turn out good! If you don't like to think of Jeremy/The Squip, think of it like Jeremy/OC, only with the OC having similar personality traits as the Squip. Enjoy!


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